It's Rachmaninoff's Fault
by allegro scherzando
Summary: They’re now the Golden Pair, but it seems that something is stopping Nodame and Chiaki from reaching the level they both want to be in. But what exactly is that level? And what’s stopping them?
1. Lesson 1

"It's Rachmaninoff's Fault"

By allegro scherzando

**DISCLAIMER:** All _Nodame Cantabile_ characters and themes are the rightful property of Ninomiya Tomoko.

**SUMMARY:** They're now the Golden Pair, but it seems that something is stopping Nodame and Chiaki from reaching the level they both want to be in. But what exactly is that level? And what's stopping them?

**DEDICATION:** To Sergei Rachmaninoff because I brought him into this mess. And because I love him.

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**LESSON ONE**

As he waved his baton to the beat of the four-quarter time signature, he felt the power of the music all around him slowly entering the very depths of his soul. He made perfectly timed signals to the double basses during the parts where they were supposed to enter with a light _pizzicato_ and pointed at the flutes to increase their dynamics with graceful hand gestures. Ever so often, he glanced at the huge instrument behind him, the beautiful and enormous black Yamaha from which the loudest and most defined sounds were coming from. As the music got softer and slower, turning from a majestic tone into something gentler and sweeter, he nodded at the woman seated in front of the piano keys. She nodded back with a small smile as her long and dexterous fingers went from one octave to another. By some strange habit, her fingers would bounce up almost one foot above the keys whenever she ended a long passage of notes.

Chiaki turned back to face the orchestra, his face gradually breaking out into a smile of satisfaction. He was thoroughly enjoying what he was hearing and pleased that the orchestra was meeting his expectations. He relished even more the fact that the pianist had somehow lost her interest in adding notes and seemed to play everything accurately according to the score. After weeks of whole-day practices, after he and entire orchestra suffered from (and endured) the unpredictable playing of their pianist, she had finally gotten to the place where Chiaki wanted her music to be. She had at last produced the sort of music Chiaki appreciated.

Not that he didn't like her music. In fact, he had always loved the way she played.

But suddenly, the pianist lifted her hands from the instrument and stopped playing.

"_Gyabo!_" she gasped, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Chiaki immediately signaled the orchestra to stop.

"What's wrong?" he asked, facing the pianist. "You played everything correctly."

"No, it was. . . my fingering," replied the pianist softly, burying her face in her hands.

Rolling his eyes, Chiaki heaved a sigh and announced, "Let's have a thirty-minute break."

There was a soft scuttling and a few murmurs as the orchestra members stood up and made their way out of the main theatre, heading for the direction of the restrooms.

Chiaki went down from his podium and leaned against the piano, eyeing the pianist with an almost sympathetic expression on his face.

"It was perfect," he said. "Why are you so hard on yourself?"

"Senpai. . ." Nodame began in a despairing tone. "It wasn't perfect! I hit that note on the 186th mark with my index finger. It was supposed to be my middle finger!" she added in a voice which sounded close to a hiss.

_Why is she like this? Since when has she become a perfectionist?_ Chiaki thought to himself.

Staring down at the keys with a fuming countenance, Nodame started playing once again. This time, it was a rough and much sloppier version of the sweet and graceful piece she had been playing just a moment before.

_Oh, no way, she's going back to the way she played before today_, thought Chiaki.

He grabbed her hands with one swift movement and said, "Why don't you rest for a while?"

Nodame blinked at him and turned her face away, her pouting lips emerging.

"It has to be perfect," she muttered. "It's our last performance together this season. Then my contract with the Chicago Symphony will end and I won't be able to perform with you for a very long time. I have to go to Berlin next week for my solo recital and I won't see you for maybe a year or so. I can't embarrass you this time with my lousy playing."

"Since when have you embarrassed me?" asked Chiaki disbelievingly.

_No, I take that back. You _have_ embarrassed me. Many times_, he thought.

"You were playing just fine," he continued in an effort to comfort her. "All our performances this season were great. The music director's really pleased with what we've put together."

Nodame remained silent.

After a moment, Chiaki came to a sudden realization and said, "This isn't about perfecting the piece, is it?"

All at once his pianist burst into tears. Though Chiaki had known Nodame for 13 long years and was used to her erratic behavior, he was always rather shocked whenever she had one of her mood swings. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. Nodame hid her face in his chest as the tears continued to come out fast. Chiaki heard a muffled "Nodame will miss you" before there was a long series of sniffs.

_I'll miss you too_, he said in his mind.

"We _will_ perform together again," he said reassuringly. "We're the Golden Pair. We've established that name for us already. We'll get another offer to perform with another orchestra in no time."

Looking up at Chiaki's face with swollen eyes, Nodame whispered, "But I want to stay here in Chicago with Senpai. I don't want to go anywhere else."

Chiaki didn't know what to say. He felt both exasperated at her hardheadedness and flattered that she wanted to be with him even if she had a busy schedule elsewhere.

"We should have become famous only as the Golden Pair," continued Nodame, sniffing.

"Huh?"

"We shouldn't have done anything individually," she explained. "Now we don't get to see each other that often anymore."

"Do you think you'll become as successful as you are now if you're always doing concertos with me?" asked Chiaki who was finally able to speak again.

A few more tears fell on Nodame's cheeks.

"_If Senpai had asked Nodame to marry him_," she said angrily, "_this wouldn't be so hard_!"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** What do you think? Is it interesting enough or have I done something incredibly boring? Are things a bit unclear? Of course, I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me if anybody's out of character!

As always, I'm talking too much. I'll try not to spoil anything (if I can help it).

And thanks to Liliumscribe, who is one of my inspirations for this fic as well. I got an idea from her _Intermezzo_.


	2. Lesson 2

**LESSON TWO**

"Another outstanding performance, as usual," said Daniel Barenboim, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's music director.

"Thank you very much," replied Chiaki, shaking his hand.

"It's too bad Megumi wasn't able to join us," said Barenboim sadly as he sipped his espresso. He and Chiaki were seated across from each other on dark brown leather couches in a small café situated along Lake Shore Drive. The café had a scenic view of Lake Michigan and once in a while a few tourist liners floating lazily on the lake passed the café windows.

"She had to leave early to meet with her manager before she heads for Berlin," explained Chiaki, sighing. He missed her already and tried not to think too much of her tearful farewell at the airport earlier that day.

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_"Senpai, promise me we'll do a Rachmaninoff next year," she said as tears started forming in the corners of her eyes._

_"If you want, we could do one next month," said Chiaki with practiced indifference._

_"You don't even care!" Nodame wailed, her tears spilling out uncontrollably._

_"I do," said Chiaki, walking over to her and placing her in a warm embrace. "And I'm serious about next month," he added, though he really wasn't. He remembered full well that he was going to conduct the Chicago Symphony during three performances the following month._

_"Well, I can't, anyway," replied Nodame feebly. "After my Berlin recital, I'm going to Hong Kong for the Handover Anniversary Benefit Concert."_

_Nodame remained in Chiaki's arms for a few minutes before she said, "Promise me, Senpai."_

_"What should I promise you?"_

_"We're going to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 next year," she said determinedly._

_"I'm not promising anything," said Chiaki. He knew they could only perform together on invitation and he could not give her any guarantees that they would get any within a year._

_"I hate you," said Nodame, pouting at him._

_Chiaki gently wiped the tears on her face with his hands._

_"Last call for passengers boarding Deutsche Lufthansa Flight 730A from O'Hare International Airport, Chicago to Rhine-Main Airport, Frankfurt," said the announcer._

_"Go," Chiaki whispered. He kissed her forehead before releasing her from his embrace._

_Nodame was still frowning as she turned to get her suitcase. She walked off to the check-in area without another word. However, before she went past the inspection gate, she glanced at Chiaki one last time. Even from a distance, Chiaki clearly saw her sad tear-stained face._

Stop that face, _he thought_. Don't cry!

_Without thinking, Chiaki shouted, "Fine, next year!"_

_Chiaki beheld a wide smile on Nodame's face before she turned away._

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"How old is she? Do you know?" asked Barenboim curiously, waking Chiaki from his contemplations.

"She just turned 34," he replied.

"You're just a year apart! Imagine that! You seem like you've known each other for a long time."

"We met when we were both still university students," Chiaki explained. "I was her senior back then."

"Does she have a boyfriend?" Barenboim continued.

Chiaki paused before saying, "None that I know of."

"Really?" said Barenboim in a contemplative voice. "She's such a charming girl, I wonder why nobody's running after her."

_I do_, thought Chiaki, smiling in spite of himself. _Who would want to run after a _hentai_?_

"There are suitors, I suppose?" asked Barenboim. There was a melancholic sort of expression etched on his elderly face.

"We don't really talk about that sort of thing," Chiaki muttered lamely.

"Well, what about you, Shinichi?" said Barenboim, changing the subject. "Ever think about getting married?"

"There isn't anybody at the moment," said Chiaki, "so marriage is definitely not on my mind right now."

_It used to be_, he thought.

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Chiaki found himself going to Navy Pier for no apparent reason. It was a long wide dock on the lake where the tourist liners he saw earlier were moored. Back then, it was used solely for that purpose but now it also became a spot thriving with shopping centers and restaurants.

He sat himself on one of the benches facing the water and got lost in the repetitive sound of the waves hitting the smooth stone walls of the pier. A cold breeze brushed against his skin, making him shiver a little. Though it was nearing summer, Chicago did not lose the cold weather it was famous for.

Now that he was reminded of it (by both Nodame and Barenboim), somehow Chiaki couldn't seem to stop thinking about the word _marriage_. For the past few years, he had not bothered to even take second notice of the term, knowing that it was some way or another out of his league. He wasn't in a relationship and he firmly believed that he wouldn't be for a very long time. He _had_ been involved with somebody a very long time ago, although up until that moment it was still rather unclear to him what sort of relationship they actually had. He remembered Nodame had always said that he was her "boyfriend" or that they were "engaged" or even "married." He, on the other hand, refused to admit anything. It was true that he loved her, but it had always troubled him to admit it. To his dismay, she always pressed on the matter and to her dismay, he was determined to ignore her. At one point, Chiaki finally made a decision to clarify his feelings for her, but that was the only time he did. And when at last it came to the time when Chiaki realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, he just couldn't bring about the words to say it. He sincerely, deeply, profoundly, _desperately_ wanted to marry her, but he knew he just couldn't ask her. He knew it was his fault. It was _he_ who had made her wait all those years and it was _he_ who had made all that waiting pointless. When he knew he didn't have the courage to tell her, he let her go.

_It was for the best, wasn't it?_ he thought to himself. _I couldn't say it. It was worthless having her wait patiently for something she would never hear. I wanted her to be happy, that's why I ended it. Neither of us could have been satisfied with what we had back then, whatever it was that we had._

Luckily for Chiaki, Nodame accepted with a willing (albeit heavy) heart. She said that she understood his reasons (though she honestly didn't know the reasons) and she allowed him to end their relationship. Luckily for both of them, neither wanted to end any connection with the other and so they kept their friendship. They were still just as close as before but anything romantic or anything pertaining to "love" was out of the picture, at least, when they were with each other.

Chiaki did not realize it at that moment but after many years he found out that it was really Nodame who did all the sacrificing. She could have cried for days on end. She could have begged him to stay by her side. She could have strangled him (as she did once) just to force him to still be together with her. But she didn't. And that frustrated Chiaki even more.

_She's still her normal eccentric, temperamental self_, he reasoned. _But when it comes to things which concern _us_, it's like she becomes somebody else. Why is she so submissive? That's not the Nodame I know. That's not my Nodame_.

He checked himself.

_She's not my Nodame anymore._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Sorry for breaking my chapters into very short passages. I have a problem with this sort of thing. It's either the chapter is too long (it exceeds 10 pages on Microsoft Word) or too short.

By now, it's probably already clear that this is an angst fic or rather a muted sort of angst fic. I think it's melodramatic. _"She's not my Nodame anymore."_ Haha.

I hope all the drama is fine.

By the way, Daniel Barenboim is a real person. He's an Argentinean conductor and pianist (although he changed his citizenship to Israeli). He resigned from the directorial post of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2006, but I wanted him to be in the story so I managed to squeeze him in somehow. I hope he doesn't mind his cameo role here. ;-)

To those who are wondering, I chose Chicago as the setting because I lived there a few years ago and I miss the scenery and the weather. I especially miss Navy Pier, which is my favorite place to go to.

As always, I appreciate your comments and I am terribly sorry that I am talking too much again.


	3. Lesson 3

**LESSON THREE**

"How was the Chicago stint?" asked Elize as she fiddled with a fountain pen.

"Senpai was amazing," said Nodame cheerfully. "I enjoyed it a lot. It feels sad that it ended so soon."

Nodame was in Frankfurt, where her manager Elize rented out a part of a building as their agency annex. Elize, the long-time secretary and manager of Franz Stresemann and once Chiaki's manager as well, now had her golden blonde hair cropped like a pixie's with spiked ends.

"You think two months is a short while?" said Elize incredulously, setting down the pen on her desk. "It was a good thing your concerts with Chiaki sold well. Otherwise we would have lost the meaning in our business."

"All you really ever think about is money," Nodame mused.

"Naturally," answered her manager. "Tell me, did anything happen between you two?"

"No, nothing in particular. What do you mean?"

Nodame stared at Elize, obviously not understanding what the latter meant.

"Any _progress_?" asked Elize.

There was a long period of silence before Nodame answered, "I've given up."

"'Given up?' What are you saying? _You_, Noda Megumi, are giving up? I thought he was the love of your life!"

"He was," said Nodame sorrowfully. "He still is. But it's all right. Don't worry about me."

"In short, all you really want to say is you want to end up an old maid?"

"You could say that," Nodame replied simply.

"I can't tolerate that," said Elize sternly. "How could you do this to yourself?"

"I don't care what people think of me if I never get married," said Nodame. "I'm glad Senpai and Nodame are still friends. And that's all that matters."

Elize sighed.

"Go back to Japan," she muttered in a tired voice.

"Eh?"

"Go to that place Maestro goes to."

"What place?" Nodame asked in a curious tone, her mouth forming a pout.

"That dating restaurant he really likes. What was it called again? _Gon_? _Godon_ – ?"

"_Goukon_!" exclaimed Nodame in shock. "Nodame would never go to a _goukon_ even if her life depended on it!"

"You know, there's this gourmet chef I ran into in Turin," said Elize, quickly changing the topic. "He made wonderful _meringue a la penne _something, that dish Chiaki used to always make for you – "

"_Meringue a la penne con i broccoli_," said Nodame slowly as though she was reciting something she had memorized from a textbook.

"Yes, whatever," continued Elize, "and he was really good-looking too. Maybe you'd want to meet him."

"Hmm. . ." said Nodame, thinking deeply. "Nope, I'm not interested."

"_You are impossible_," Elize hissed under her breath.

"Elize, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Is this agency cursed?" asked Nodame in a childish voice.

"Excuse me?" her manager said sharply.

"It's just. . . . Milch is single," continued Nodame in a contemplative voice, "and Chiaki-senpai is single and Nodame is single."

"You're not making sense."

"Are all your clients supposed to end up single?"

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_I can't believe I agreed to this_, Chiaki thought as he entered the Drake Hotel.

He was on his way to meet a _Classic Life_ reporter for an interview about his recent performances with Nodame. Chiaki was surprised at himself for having agreed to meet up with a reporter, being somebody who enjoyed his private life to a great extent. He was worried that the reporter would get something out of him which was too personal.

As he went into one of the function halls, he saw a film camera set atop a tripod and some spotlights directly pointing at two chairs placed on either side of a small round table covered with a floral-patterned tablecloth.

_It's a live interview_, he said to himself in shock. All that time, he thought it was just some journalist scribbling down his answers on a notebook or holding up a tape recorder. He had no idea that it would be an interview in front of a camera.

"There he is!" said the journalist, who briskly walked over to where he was. The interviewer extended her hand towards Chiaki and said, "It's so wonderful of you to come. I've been looking forward to this interview since I saw your first performance with Megumi Noda this season."

All Chiaki could do was nod. Before he knew it, one of the reporter's assistants dragged him off to one side, where they put a bit of powder on his face and combed his hair a little.

"What's all this for?" he asked.

"You don't want people all over the world watching this program to see your handsome face full of blemishes, do you?"

_My face doesn't have any blemishes, idiot_, he thought, fuming.

After a few minutes, he was led to one of the chairs in front of the camera.

"Shall we?" asked the interviewer with a smile.

Once again, Chiaki just nodded.

The interviewer quickly added, "Don't look too tense – !"

"_Action!_" said the person behind the camera loudly.

"Welcome back to the _Classic Life_ program!" said the reporter in a louder voice. "Before the break, we got to take a look at – "

_Dammit, there are no rehearsals?_ Chiaki thought worriedly. _Not even a single word about what they're going to ask me?_

He felt sweat slowly falling down his forehead.

"Now here with me is one of the most acclaimed conductors today," the interviewer said, glancing at Chiaki. "He has recently concluded a cycle of well-received concerts with the pianist Megumi Noda. Known together as the Golden Pair, these two began making a mark on the classical music world when they first performed together with the Roux-Marlet Orchestra in Paris six years ago. Now the principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, this young Japanese conductor will sit here with us for an in-depth interview about his career and his life. Right here with us is Shinichi Chiaki."

The camera slowly focused on Chiaki's face.

_In-depth interview?_ he thought. _You've got to be joking._

"Welcome to the show, Mr. Chiaki," said the reporter.

"Thank you," Chiaki found himself saying.

"Congratulations on the success of your recent performances."

"Thank you," he repeated.

"What are your anecdotes of the last performance?"

_Nodame cried during rehearsals, right after the performance, and when she left._

"It was an immensely fulfilling experience. I enjoyed it a lot. It was rather sad, though, since it was the very last performance Megumi and I had together this season."

"_Megumi?!"_

"Are you glad that you got the chance to perform with Ms. Noda again this year?" asked the reporter.

"Yes, very much. I was pleased to know that she was available to do concerts with me for two months. She's a very busy person, so it's difficult to find time for the Golden Pair in her schedule."

"_Find time for the Golden Pair?" I'm making her sound like she doesn't care about me. I shouldn't have said that. What if she's watching this?_

"How frequently do you usually get together to perform?" continued the interviewer.

"We both have individual careers, but we try to have concerts together at least once a year."

_Next year, I _have_ to do that Rachmaninoff with her. She'll kill me._

"How does it feel to know that the Golden Pair has such a large fanbase in the United States?" said the reporter.

_It does?_

"It's great to know that. I'm very glad that our act has been received with good reviews."

"Tell us how the Golden Pair was formed."

_This will be a long story._

"When we were still studying in music school," began Chiaki, "Megumi and I had a dream for ourselves that we would be a world-famous conductor and pianist duo called the Golden Pair. After years of working to achieve that title, we've finally made it."

"Can you say that the Golden Pair has gotten to the place where it precisely wants to be?"

Chiaki paused before saying, "Yes, I believe that this is exactly how we wanted everything to turn out."

_The dream was fulfilled in terms of the music part. But. . ._

"Many critics can't help but notice a certain connection between you and Ms. Noda whenever you perform together. It's like a deep bond. Do you feel that during performances?"

_A deep connection? Can they tell that there used to be something between me and Nodame? Is it that obvious?_

"To be honest, I have always been intensely moved by her music," answered Chiaki. "She is able to connect to her listeners whenever she plays. When I listen to her piano, I also feel whatever emotions she wants to convey. I think that's the connection you're saying."

"One of the _Classic Life_ reporters has said that you and Ms. Noda have matching sets of hearts and minds. Do you think that's true?"

_Are you getting personal?_ Chiaki thought, starting to feel his temper rising.

"We usually tend to think alike," he replied. "Maybe it's because we know each other very well."

"There's gossip going around that you and Ms. Noda are dating. Can you confirm that rumor?"

"_Confirm?!" If I wasn't on television right now, I'd strangle you, woman._

"No. Megumi and I are very close friends and we've known each other for more than ten years. We have a tight-knit friendship."

"So the gossipmongers should be disappointed right now, shouldn't they?"

"It's just gossip," Chiaki remarked simply.

_I can't believe even the audience notices._

"When is the Golden Pair's next performance?" asked the interviewer.

"We're still looking for the right time to schedule the next one," said Chiaki. "We'll both be very busy for the rest of this year, so you'll probably see us together next year."

"Any particular piece you have in mind for next year's repertoire?"

"Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Did you get bored? I got a little carried away with the interview bit. I hope you understood who's saying and thinking what even though I didn't specify the speakers.

Is the transition of the story very slow? I fear _I'm_ getting impatient with what _I'm_ doing.

I thought Elize would look cute with the pixie cut.

Somehow I feel that this chapter was rather useless. Just a little intermission from the actual performance. I hope I'll get something out of this in the later chapters.

My horribly talkative mouth apologizes once again for the unnecessary blabber.

All your comments are welcome.


	4. Lesson 4

**LESSON FOUR**

"What a disappointment. Don't you think so, Seika-chan?" said Mine Tatsumi wistfully, taking off his white Uraken cap and setting it down on the counter. He sighed heavily, reaching for the remote control and turning off the television. Glancing at the wall clock, he realized it was already almost midnight.

"What are you talking about, Ojiichan?" asked his seven-year-old granddaughter who was sitting right next to him on a stool. "Who was that man on the television?"

"He's an old friend of your dad's. When he still lived in Japan, he ate here often with his girlfriend."

"You mean the woman they were talking about?" said Seika inquisitively. "Megumi?"

Her grandfather nodded.

"But I thought he said they were just friends," Seika reasoned.

"I don't know what happened to those two," said Tatsumi. Changing the subject, he said, "You're a bright girl, just as smart as your mother. And you're very good at English too, not like your grandfather." He chuckled, patting Seika's head.

"Ojiichan, you're good at English too!" she piped in. "You understood the man on the television."

They heard rushing footsteps going down the stairs from the house above the Uraken and in a moment saw Seika's father Mine Ryutaro looking bleary-eyed and wearing light blue flannel pajamas.

"What are you two doing at this hour?" he asked, scratching the blond mess of hair on his head.

"We were watching television," replied Seika. "We saw your friend on TV."

"Which friend?" said Mine, yawning.

"Chiaki," answered his father.

"An interview?" Mine asked as he took a seat on one of the chairs near the stairs. "Was he with Nodame?"

"No, it was just him," said his father, "but he talked about her a lot."

"Is it true they're back together?"

"He said they were just friends," Seika said.

"That idiot," said Mine in a voice that seemed like a whine. "You, Seika, go to bed," he added tersely.

"Dad, I want to know more about the man on the TV!" pleaded Seika, rushing over to him and shaking his arm.

"No, go to sleep," her father replied in a sluggish but resolute tone. He pushed her softly on the back in the direction of the stairs.

"Oh, Dad. . ." Seika moaned before disappearing up the steps.

When he heard his daughter shut her bedroom door upstairs, Mine said, "Tell me about the interview."

"It was just like all his other interviews," replied his father. "Nothing really special about that one."

"Then why do you look so depressed about it?" asked his son, who was now wide awake.

Sighing, Tatsumi said, "Ever since I met those two, I was sure they would end up together. We knew his attitude, how he never really admitted anything, but I knew by fate that they were meant for each other."

"So did I."

"Do you know exactly what happened? Did he ever tell you the reason why they broke up?"

"We never really got around to talking about that," explained Mine. "I ran into him a few months ago at around Christmas. I was in Vienna at the time, remember? Seika and I got a last-minute flight to see Kiyora's Christmas recital. After the recital, I decided to take a stroll around the city while Kiyora and Seika went back to our place. That was when I saw Chiaki coming out of this weird little shop – "

"What shop was it?" asked his father, who was getting even more curious.

"It was a pawnshop," said Mine in amazement.

Tatsumi started in astonishment and whispered, "Is he already _that_ poor?"

"No, stupid!" retorted his son. "Chiaki's always been rich and he can't be poor now, after becoming such a famous conductor. Anyway, I saw him coming out of the pawnshop and I just ran over and hugged him."

"Then?"

"He asked what I was doing in Vienna, but then he said he'd heard about Kiyora's recital and he knew I would be there," continued Mine. "I asked him what he was doing in a pawnshop and he said he needed to loan some money badly since he forgot to bring his credit cards."

"What was the thing he left at the pawnshop?"

"He didn't say," said Mine simply.

"Why was he in Vienna that time?"

"He didn't say either. But he said to send his regards to Kiyora and Seika. He also said he was glad to see me then he left."

"What about Nodame-chan?" said his father. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Last April here at the Uraken!" replied Mine. "You saw her too, right?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot! She seemed pretty happy, though, didn't she?"

"She was just the same as when I first met her," said Mine, a reminiscent sparkle in his eyes. "Still pretty weird," he added with a small smile.

"But didn't she get thinner?" asked his father. "It was very easy to notice."

"Well, I don't think Chiaki cooks for her anymore."

"It's a good thing they're still friends, isn't it?" said Tatsumi. "There's still hope."

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"All right," said Chiaki, setting down his baton on the stand. "Overall, today was a pretty good rehearsal. Cellos, just please take note of your intervals. Clarinets, mark the rests on your scores. Concertmaster, polish your section's bowing techniques. That's all. Everyone's dismissed."

The orchestra members left the concert hall one-by-one, each of them saying either "'Bye" or "Thank you" to the conductor before going out. As the number of people inside the hall slowly diminished, Chiaki whipped out his phone from his jacket pocket.

He took a deep breath before dialing Nodame's number.

There was a clicking sound before somebody on the other end said, "Hello?"

"Nodame. . ." Chiaki began.

"Senpai? _Do you have any idea what time it is?!_" she screeched.

Startled by her reply, Chiaki said, "I thought you're in Frankfurt. It's only 9 o'clock in the evening there."

"No, I'm in Berlin. Do you know what time it is in Berlin?"

"9 o'clock. Frankfurt and Berlin are in the same time zone," said Chiaki, getting annoyed.

Nodame let out a giggle before saying, "I'm just kidding, Senpai. Why did you call?"

_I just wanted to hear your voice_, thought Chiaki.

"I wanted to check if you got there safely," he said.

"Of course I got here safely, what do you think of me?" said Nodame in an irritable voice, though Chiaki knew she was grinning.

"Given that you're so irresponsible. . ." Chiaki murmured reasonably.

"Senpai!"

Neither of them spoke for a while until Nodame said, "You better hang up now, your phone bill might get higher. Long distance calls are more expensive – "

"Don't worry about that," said Chiaki. "You didn't happen to watch anything interesting on TV lately, did you?"

"Like what? Your interview with _Classic Life_?"

_Dammit_, Chiaki thought.

"Since you've already announced to the world that we're doing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 next year, you should keep your word," said Nodame.

Chiaki was surprised that Nodame didn't say anything about his answers to the questions concerning their relationship, but he was also relieved. He knew everything was still the same between the two of them except for the romantic relationship part and inwardly he kicked himself for not realizing that Nodame wouldn't bring up that subject anymore.

_Not now, anyway_, he thought.

"Senpai. . ."

"What?"

"I miss your _meringue a la penne con i broccoli_."

"You remember what it's called?" Chiaki asked in awe. Nodame really was full of surprises.

"I was talking to Elize the other day and she said she ate that recently during a trip in Italy," explained Nodame.

"That probably wasn't even half as good as _my_ version," said Chiaki in his typical haughty manner.

"No, probably not."

Once again, there was silence.

"Senpai, I have to go," said Nodame. "I have to wake up early for my rehearsal tomorrow."

_No, don't hang up yet_, Chiaki thought.

"Good night, Senpai," said Nodame.

"Good night, Nodame."

"I love you, Shinichi-kun."

Chiaki heard another clicking sound from Nodame's end and snapped his phone shut. He made a contented sigh, but just then his eyes widened.

_Did she just say "I love you, Shinichi-kun?"_ he thought, his heart racing.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Is this a sign that love is coming back?

I invented Mine and Kiyora's daughter Seika. I got the "sei" from the word "seishun", which means "youth" in Japanese (because Mine always goes on about the "shining light of youth", doesn't he?), and I don't know where I got the "ka", but anyway I have a Japanese friend named Seika so I know it's a real Japanese name, isn't it?

To anybody who's confused, Mine and Kiyora _are_ married in this fic.

By the way, I hope I haven't offended anybody who goes to pawnshops. It's just that Chiaki (or rather his mother's family) is simply put _filthy rich_ so it would be very odd for him to pawn things, wouldn't it? _I_ make use of pawnshop services myself. ;-)

I am sorry this chapter is rather short again. Apologies for my mouth as well.

I'd love to hear your comments!


	5. Lesson 5

**LESSON FIVE**

"Nodame-chan, it's so good of you to visit. I know you're very busy nowadays."

"It's no problem, Milch," replied Nodame, patting Stresemann's back.

She had decided to pay a visit to Stresemann in his old house in Berlin before her recital the following day. Nodame had often gone to see Chiaki's former mentor whenever she had a performance in the German capital. Ever since she had first visited him in Berlin almost nine years previously, Nodame had developed a fondness for Stresemann's cozy traditional German cottage which was located a little way off from the Grünewald, a forest located in the western side of the city. There was something she found incredibly unpretentious about the small house, which seemed like the polar opposite of its owner who seemed very keen on extravagant things.

"Actually I came here to invite you to my recital tomorrow," Nodame continued, handing the Maestro a ticket.

Stresemann took it from her and stared at it with a gratified smile.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said as he placed it on his coffee table.

"Milch, when will we do a concerto again?" asked Nodame.

After thinking for a while, Stresemann answered, "When you are able to successfully force me out of retirement."

Nodame made a soft moan.

"I heard your concerts with the Chicago Symphony were huge successes," said Stresemann as he leaned back on his couch and put his legs up on a small ottoman.

"None of it would have been as successful without Senpai," said Nodame modestly.

Stresemann sighed and said in a resigned tone, "You're always like that. How can you survive without him?"

"I can't," she admitted.

"I think you can."

Nodame's lips jutted out in confusion.

"You've become famous as Megumi Noda," explained Stresemann. "That counts for something. The Golden Pair is just a sideline."

"A sideline?" said Nodame in surprise. "You can't really think that way, Milch."

"I'm being perfectly serious."

"So the Golden Pair isn't that important to you?"

"You and Chiaki are two separate human beings," said Stresemann. "You each have separate careers and you lead separate lives."

"We didn't always. . ." began Nodame in a whisper. She didn't finish her sentence as she turned her head away from Stresemann to stare outside the window.

"Nodame-chan, I'm sorry I brought this up," Stresemann said abruptly, seeing the brightness escape her eyes. "Do you still love him?"

Nodame didn't answer and kept her eyes fixed on the window.

"What am I saying?" said Stresemann aloud to himself. "Of course you do."

"Milch, he doesn't love _me_," Nodame finally said in a rasping voice, as though she was being choked up in tears she was trying to fight from coming out.

Stresemann just stared at her with a knowing expression.

"At least not anymore," added Nodame sheepishly. "Or maybe he's never loved me to begin with," she murmured, her face marked with a discouraged countenance.

"You silly girl," Stresemann remarked. "Anybody who knew Chiaki would know that he loves you."

"_Loved_," said Nodame, stressing the _d_ at the end.

"Whatever you say," replied Stresemann almost exhaustedly.

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_What in the world would make her say that?_ thought Chiaki to himself in frustration. _She hasn't said those words since the time we were still together._

He ran his fingers through his hair in one stroke as he got up from his bed. A quick glance at the clock on his bedside table showed that it was only 3:16 in the morning. He heaved an aggravated sigh. He wasn't able to sleep that night with the memory of their recent conversation still firmly planted on his mind.

"_Dammit_," he said under his breath, walking over to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

_It must have been a slip of the tongue_, he concluded, though he was still very unsure.

He proceeded to pouring the coffee into his mug, making careless spills in the process. Taking up the mug, he took in one large gulp of burning hot coffee.

"_Shit!_" he bellowed, dropping the mug onto the tiled floor. The mug shattered into pieces.

_Calm down, Shinichi_, he said to himself.

Chiaki stood still for a moment, closing his eyes. The words came back to him the instant he tried to stop thinking about them.

_"I love you, Shinichi-kun."_

Leaving the mess he'd made on the kitchen floor, Chiaki moved over to the living room where he threw himself onto the leather sofa and buried his face in one of the cushions. The feel of the cold fabric on his skin made him shiver. After a few minutes of lying still, he got up and settled himself in a sitting position.

_That was the first time she called me "Shinichi-kun" in eight years_, he thought. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a horribly sharp pang in his heart which he couldn't understand.

_Forget about her_, he thought. _Do something else to occupy your mind._

In an instant, he picked up the music score he saw lying on his coffee table and flipped it open. On the very first page was imprinted "Sergey Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3" and on the top right-hand corner he saw the words "S. Chiaki" written in his own light handwriting. It was the score he'd used during their most recent concert.

_Whatever I do, even if it's supposed to take my mind off of her, it still has something to do with Nodame_, he thought.

Shaking off the truth of that thought, he continued to browse through the score's pages. There were many check marks and encircled symbols on the pages in front of him. Once in a while, he beheld scribbled notes on the margins. Most of the notes he had jotted down were about Nodame. One of them read "Signal N. to enter at the 52nd measure" and another said "N. plays staccato here." He sighed upon reading another note which said "Tell N. to take note of her slurs."

_Even if she's already a professional, she still has trouble reading notes._

When Chiaki turned the page, he twitched. There were bread crumbs sticking to the pages. He brushed them off and pondered how there could be crumbs all over his score.

Just then, he remembered the night after their last performance. At the time, he invited Nodame to have dinner in his apartment, just like in the old days. However, Chiaki forgot that he hadn't done any grocery shopping yet and that his refrigerator was empty except for some mineral water. That was why they had to content themselves with the leftover bread in his pantry. He remembered Nodame leafing through his score while she was eating the bread Chiaki had given her.

_That idiot_, he thought as he turned another page and saw another set of crumbs sticking onto it. He couldn't suppress a smile this time.

_We're both so fond of Rachmaninoff, aren't we?_ he thought.

Chiaki knew that Rachmaninoff meant a lot to him and to Nodame, even at the very start of their relationship. For them, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 was the signal for the start of many things. That particular concerto marked the end of Chiaki's conducting with the S-Orchestra during their university days. It was also that concerto which enabled their former college professor Etoh Kozo to discover Nodame's talent. Piano Concerto No. 3 was also the piece which Chiaki conducted during his international debut. And though Chiaki did not know it, that very same concerto was the one which inspired Nodame to work harder on her piano. During the past years, when the two of them performed as the Golden Pair, they played many concertos together: Ravel, Mozart, Prokofiev, Bartók, Beethoven, Schumann. . . . Indeed, the list was endless. However, if there was one composer whose pieces they most often played it was Rachmaninoff. Chiaki did not know what it was about the Russian composer which drew them both to him. He was just certain that Rachmaninoff had a powerful influence on him and Nodame, particularly on their association as the Golden Pair.

_Does she know how much Rachmaninoff means to us?_ wondered Chiaki as he set the score down on the table again.

_Probably,_ he thought, _since she wants to do No. 2 again next year_.

"_I love you, Shinichi-kun."_

He screwed up his eyes and drooped his shoulders. The day had just begun but he was already tired.

_It's Rachmaninoff's fault_, he said to himself.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** How was this chapter? I felt that everything was dragging somehow.

If you're wondering about the spelling of Rachmaninoff's name, there are many different versions. First, there's his first name, which is either Sergei or Sergey. Then there's his surname, which is spelled as either Rachmaninov or Rachmaninoff. I prefer "Sergei Rachmaninoff" but that's just me. I _did_ use "Sergey Rachmaninov" as part of the title of Chiaki's score, though. All the same, I'm in love with that composer whatever the spelling of his name is.

Please excuse the language. I wanted to put in "_kuso_" (Japanese word for "shit") but I thought the English would be more effective. ;-)

By the way, Chiaki's very last thought at the end "It's Rachmaninoff's fault" does not yet fully explain why that's the title of this fic.

Hopefully the next chapter will have a lighter mood.

Your comments are as always very much appreciated.


	6. Lesson 6

**LESSON SIX**

_MEGUMI NODA TO PERFORM AT HONG KONG HANDOVER THIS JUNE_

_26 May – Japanese pianist Megumi Noda, 34, has just recently concluded a recital at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, Germany. The virtuoso who is known for her powerful and passionate style performed several known works by Maurice Ravel, including the suites "Gaspard de la nuit" and "Miroirs", as well as "Jeux d'Eau", the latter of which received a standing ovation from the audience of over 1,800. It was the very first piano recital held at the Theater with more than 500 in attendance. The success of Noda's Berlin recital was also boosted by the immense popularity of her recent two-month long series of concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Last Sunday, Noda had her final performance in Chicago with Japanese conductor Shinichi Chiaki with whom she forms the Golden Pair, a conductor-pianist duo which has received much acclaim over the past six years. Next month, Noda will perform for an Asian audience at the Handover Anniversary Benefit Concert in Hong Kong. The pianist confirmed during a press conference in Berlin that she will be performing Camille Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 3 in C Minor as well as the suite "Le carnaval des animaux" with the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra under Filipino conductor Gerard Salonga._

"'Audience of over 1,800,'" Chiaki read aloud in a soft voice.

_She is amazing_, he thought as he clicked the Close button on the _Classic Life_ webpage on his computer.

It had only been three days since Chiaki's disastrous morning after the call he'd made to Nodame, but somehow he knew he had already recovered from it. Being the sort of person who could escape reality just by absorbing himself fully in his music, he had the easy way out. And the orchestra being exceptionally good during their most recent practices helped him keep an agreeable mood. It took his mind off certain things, especially his other half (of the Golden Pair, that is).

He admitted to himself that he never _ever_ really took his mind off Nodame. She was always at the very center of his thoughts. Even at that moment, he constantly worried about her and what she was doing. He frequently wished to be with her wherever she was at the moment for fear she would do something stupid. Over time, Chiaki had harbored a certain protective attitude toward her and because of that he had always treated her with the utmost care. He had made sure she was well-fed and clean, and he willingly cleaned up the mess she left. Taking care of her seemed like second nature to him already. But now she was out of his grasp and he gulped upon coming to terms with the fact that she might not ever be within his reach again.

_At least I haven't lost her_, he thought. _In a sense_.

Suddenly, Chiaki's phone rang and he got up from his chair to pick it up from the coffee table in his living room.

"Hello?"

"Chiaki-kun?" said a female voice.

Identifying the speaker to be Japanese, Chiaki asked in his native tongue, "Who's this?"

"It's Kiyora. Miki Kiyora. Or Mine Kiyora, since that's what I'm supposed to be called nowadays."

Chiaki's face broke out into a grin. Apart from Nodame, he had not encountered anybody from home in a long time and it comforted him to talk in Japanese again.

"How are you?" he asked. "What made you call?"

There was a long pause before Kiyora answered hastily, "I just wanted to catch up on things."

_There's something strange going on here_, thought Chiaki, wondering about Kiyora's tone of voice.

"How's Nodame?" Kiyora inquired.

"Maybe you should ask her, she's probably in Paris," Chiaki bluntly replied. "She lives there, you know."

_Don't they know we're not together anymore?_ he thought peevishly.

Kiyora laughed uncomfortably then said, "I'm sorry, Chiaki-kun, I was just so used to you two always being together."

_What are you trying to say?_ he said in his mind furiously.

Chiaki heard (or at least he _thought_ he heard) a few whispers on Kiyora's end.

_She's not alone_, he thought.

"Do you think we can meet sometime?" asked Kiyora.

"Why, where are you?"

"I'm in Tokyo right now," was the answer. "But I'm going to Prague on Tuesday. I'm taking my daughter with me during the holidays. When do you think you'll be able to go to Europe?"

"I can't go anywhere this month. I have three concerts with the orchestra."

"Oh," said Kiyora in an almost upset voice. Immediately brightening up, she continued, "It's fine. Take your time."

_Take my time?_ thought Chiaki. _That's exactly the kind of thinking that helped me lose Nodame. In a sense._

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Kiyora explained.

_It's about Nodame, isn't it?_

"Go ahead," he said.

"No, I'd prefer telling it to you personally."

_It _is_ about Nodame._

Thinking quickly of his upcoming schedule, Chiaki remembered that he had no activities planned for –

"July," he said abruptly.

"Great, where should we meet?"

Chiaki hesitated. If he went to Paris, he would get the chance to meet Nodame again. But there was the fear that she would be off somewhere else having a recital. Deciding to take a chance, Chiaki replied, "Vienna."

"That's settled, then," said Kiyora. "My daughter wants to meet you too, so it'll be a great opportunity to see you."

"Seika-san knows who I am?"

"She can't seem to stop talking about that interview you had recently."

_That damn _Classic Life_ interview_, thought Chiaki. _Everybody knows about it._

"Chiaki-kun, are you going to the Handover Concert in Hong Kong?" Kiyora asked.

"No," Chiaki answered. Inwardly, he was very disappointed that he would miss this opportunity to hear Nodame play. He knew he couldn't resist her piano, but his job as the conductor of the Chicago Symphony was too great a thing to miss.

_Even greater than Nodame's playing_? he thought.

"That's too bad. Ryu says he'll try to talk Kimura-kun into getting him some tickets."

"Give my regards to your husband," said Chiaki.

"Take care of yourself, Chiaki-kun," Kiyora answered before hanging up.

When Chiaki set down the phone on the coffee table again, he sank onto the sofa with a heavy heart.

_How could I think that my job's more important than her? I'm a bastard_, he thought.

He sighed, putting his face in his hands. He was ashamed of himself.

_I don't deserve her._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

"Nodame is so glad she's home," said Nodame as she got out of the taxi in front of her apartment in Paris. Her right hand was clutching the handle of a large lime green suitcase and her left hand was holding onto her favorite black tote bag, which had piano keys printed on one side.

As she opened the gate leading to the courtyard of her apartment building, she saw Espérance, the tiny cocker spaniel her landlady owned.

"Look at you!" she squealed, reaching down to pat the dog's head. "You've grown fat! How much have you been eating?"

The cocker spaniel immediately barked at her, its eyes narrowed.

"Nodame was just joking," Nodame murmured, rushing to the front door.

When she got to her apartment on the second floor, she plopped herself onto the bed, which was covered with a pink polka-dotted comforter. The comforter was covered with a few crumpled pieces of paper with blank music staves printed on it. There were a few notes scribbled hurriedly on the staves. Nodame saw these sheets of paper and straightened one out.

"Ah, I missed these!" she exclaimed. She had been working on a new composition before she left for Chicago a few months before.

She glanced around the room and smiled. She was pleased with herself that she managed to leave her apartment in a much cleaner state than what she was used to. In fact, the only garbage present was stuffed into the garbage bin sitting in a corner. The carpeted floor was visible and none of her clothes were laid out messily on top of the piano.

"It's too clean," she said, wondering if it was actually her who did the cleaning before she left.

"Ah, you're here."

"_Hagya!_" Nodame shrieked, turning to face whoever it was that spoke.

It was Elize, who was standing at the doorway leading to the bathroom.

"Oh, Elize!" said Nodame, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"Oliver and I did some cleaning before you got here," said Elize matter-of-factly. Nodame saw that she was holding a plastic bag stuffed with old soda cans and empty bags of potato chips.

In a moment, Oliver came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of gloves and holding a cleaning brush.

"You didn't need to clean anything up!" Nodame said loudly. "Nodame could have done that by herself."

"That's easier said than done," said Elize. "If we didn't clean this place up, it would be swarming with ants and cockroaches right now."

Oliver merely nodded.

"Where's Chiaki when you need him?" moaned Elize, placing the plastic bag into the garbage bin.

Nodame made a sad pout and sat back down on the bed.

"Apart from the cleaning," continued Elize, "I came here to inform you that I scheduled a recital for you in Vienna in July."

"Vienna?" said Nodame. "I thought you said you wanted to expose me to Asian audiences this year."

"I've changed my mind," said Elize who seemed to be getting impatient. "Besides, it wasn't me who wanted you to go to Vienna in the first place. Somebody requested specifically for you."

"Eh? Who?"

"Kiyora Miki. You know her, right?"

"Yes, she was in Senpai's orchestra when we were in college," Nodame said. "Why did she request for me?"

"She wanted to organize a special performance for her mentor's birthday," Elize explained. "She's invited all her friends who are soloists. She made a call asking if you were free this summer and since you don't have any concerts scheduled after the one in Hong Kong, I said you would participate."

"You never asked for my permission," Nodame muttered with a frown.

"Who are you? Chiaki?" demanded Elize. "I don't need your permission. I'm your manager. I schedule whatever you do and you do whatever I want you to."

"That's not fair," retorted Nodame. "I wanted to spend this summer at home."

"Don't you want to grab this opportunity to meet different musicians from all over the world?" asked Elize, her demeanor softening.

Nodame shrugged.

"Suit yourself," said Elize. "But you're going to Vienna in July and that's final," she added before she and Oliver trooped out of the apartment.

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"Kiyora, what did he say?" asked Mine immediately, leaning closer to his wife.

Kiyora made a sigh of relief and said, "He said he's available in July and that he would meet me in Vienna."

"_That's great!_" cried Mine, his father, and Masumi in unison.

"I hope Chiaki-sama will actually do something this time," said Masumi in a hopeful voice as he ate a spoonful of his _mabo_ beancurd soup. "Mine-papa, this is great! What did you add to it this time?" he added to Mine's father.

Tatsumi winked and whispered, "It's just salt!"

"Eh?" squealed Masumi excitedly.

"I'm glad you like it, Masumi," said Mine in a hurried tone, "but we have to plan Chiaki's visit to Vienna."

"What's there to plan?" asked Kiyora. "He'll do everything he has to do on his own. He always does."

"But what if he's too stupid to realize it?" argued her husband.

"Even back then, Chiaki-sama was pretty dense when it came to this sort of thing," Masumi mused. "But all he really needed was a little push."

"He's right, Ryu," reasoned Kiyora, putting a hand on Mine's arm. "Don't underestimate Chiaki-kun. He's smarter than a lot of people I know."

"Did Nodame accept your invitation to perform during Kyle Dune's birthday?" asked Mine.

"I talked to her manager and she confirmed Nodame's attendance right away," Kiyora replied.

"Her manager's the same one as Stresemann's, right? That creepy German woman," said Mine in a curious voice. "How was she?"

"She seemed really strict," said Kiyora. "But it's obvious that she cares a lot about Nodame's career."

"Wasn't she Chiaki-sama's manager back then too?" Masumi piped in.

"I heard Chiaki left that agency because he got tired of the schedules she was giving him," said Mine's father softly. "He said he wasn't getting a good vacation."

"_Chiaki on vacation?!_" Mine said with an amazed look. "When did _that_ happen?"

"I heard that she was killing him with so much work overload," continued Tatsumi.

"But if it wasn't for her," said Kiyora, "Chiaki-kun wouldn't be as successful as he is now."

Mine sighed and said in a pensive tone, "We just have to wait until July to see what happens with those two. I hope they'll run into each other."

"They will," said Masumi reassuringly. "It's fate!"

"Masumi-chan!" Kiyora remarked with a shocked expression on her face. "Since when have you been so willing to accept that Chiaki-kun and Nodame are supposed to be together by fate?"

Masumi smirked at her and continued eating his _mabo_ without another word.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** My longest chapter so far! Was it too long?

I tried to make it a little less serious than the previous chapter. That's why I put in that last scene with Nodame and Chiaki's friends in Japan. It's just my opinion, but I think the episodes / volumes / lessons which occur in Japan are much more fun than the ones in Europe. Somehow I feel that the Paris arc is rather lonely without Masumi, Mine, and all the other noisy Japanese people in the series. But Franck and Tanya _do_ make up for them!

Sorry for the foul language. I do believe the amount of swearwords in this fic is increasing by the minute. I'll try not to make Chiaki swear too much.

My heartfelt thanks to the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin for lending the place for Ms. Noda's recital. ;-)

Your comments are welcome.


	7. Lesson 7

**LESSON SEVEN**

"_Kazuo-kun, you're so mean!_" Nodame whispered in an excited voice as she flipped the page of the _PuriGorota_ manga she was reading. She had been reading that particular volume for the past thirty minutes while she waited for her flight to Hong Kong from the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

"Excuse me."

Nodame looked up from what she was reading.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"You don't happen to be Megumi Noda, do you?" asked the elderly lady in front of her.

"I'm Megumi Noda!" Nodame replied enthusiastically. "Why do you ask?" she added in a darker tone, beginning to look suspiciously at the woman.

The stranger did not seem to notice Nodame's skeptical expression because she continued in a slow but excited voice, "I watched your concert at the Bastille two years ago. You were wonderful!"

Nodame immediately lost her apprehension and smiled broadly.

"Thank you very much," she said.

"The conductor that time was that Japanese fellow," said the woman reminiscently. "The one you always perform with."

"Shinichi Chiaki," Nodame volunteered.

"That's the one!" the lady replied happily. "I wonder when you'll perform with him again. . ."

"We just had a few concerts in the US," said Nodame. "We'll have another performance next year too. He promised me we would," she added with a hopeful ring in her voice.

"Is it not sure yet?"

"No, not yet," Nodame answered, averting her eyes to hide the unhappiness in them. "We're both going to be very busy next year, but we'll try to find time if we can."

"I'll definitely go to see that concert," said the woman, patting Nodame's shoulder kindly.

"May I ask where you're going?" Nodame asked.

"I'm going for a nice summer holiday in the Bahamas," said the old lady.

"Eh? I want to go there too!" said Nodame in an envious tone.

"What about you? Aren't you going on vacation?"

Nodame's cheeks turned pink as she feebly replied, "I'm going to Hong Kong to perform at a special event."

"Still working during the summer?" asked the woman, pondering. "I'm so sorry about that."

"Oh, no, don't be," said Nodame. "I love playing the piano. It's always an honor to be able to participate in concerts."

"That's nice to hear," remarked the woman. "Well, I have to go now. Tell your boyfriend I'm also a very big fan."

"Boyfriend?" Nodame asked with a perplexed look.

"The conductor you always perform with," said the woman. "He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"

"No, he isn't," said Nodame in an almost inaudible voice as she avoided the woman's eyes again.

"He isn't?" exclaimed the woman in surprise. "I wonder why not. . . . Goodbye, Ms. Noda."

Nodame did not notice the old woman leave. She was too busy thinking about what the lady had said. She sat completely still for a few minutes, absorbed in her thoughts.

"_Mukya_!" she suddenly gasped, picking up the manga again. "I wonder what Kazuo-kun did this time to Gorota."

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_Nodame, I'll be conducting Brahms's Symphony No. 4 and his Hungarian Dances on the 13__th__ of June. Can you come and watch? I'll send you a ticket by mail. Congratulations on the success of your recital in Berlin. Do your best in the Handover Concert in Hong Kong!_

Chiaki read his message over once before hitting the Send button.

_She probably won't be able to come anyway_, he thought. _Elize won't allow her to leave Hong Kong that easily._

Though he knew that ultimately he would be reading a reply saying "I'm sorry, Senpai, I can't come", Chiaki contented himself with the thought that at least Nodame would really have wanted to watch his performance. He knew Nodame was the sort of person who would do everything she could just to be able to make it to one of his concerts. Unlike himself, she always put him first before everything else, even before her love for the piano.

He still felt incredibly guilty because he wouldn't be able to watch her perform with the Hong Kong Symphony and though he expected Nodame would be perfectly all right about it, he felt that he had to make it up to her somehow.

Sighing, he got up from one of the front seats of the Orchestra Hall, the main concert hall of the Chicago Symphony, and took his place on the conductor's podium.

The orchestra members immediately sat up straight upon seeing him open his score to the very first page.

"Let's have some tuning first," Chiaki announced. "Concertmaster, if you please," he added, nodding at the first violinist to his left.

When all the instruments had been tuned, Chiaki continued, "Let's start from the top of the Hungarian Dances. We'll read through No. 1 once then let's polish it. Shall we?"

The orchestra nodded and within a moment Orchestra Hall was dancing to the fast-paced and vibrant melody of Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 1.

_As expected, they're all brilliant_, Chiaki thought as he watched the violinists play the brisk passages with agile fingers and heard the flutists reach the high notes with ease.

He noticed that the orchestra, though it had always been one of the most outstanding of its kind, was especially good on that particular day. Within three hours, he found that they had already mastered the Hungarian Dances right down to the finish in just the way Chiaki wanted it to be. Though not a man who was easily pleased, Chiaki was extremely amazed at the orchestra's performance and as a reward released them early.

"They're better today than they've ever been," Barenboim observed as he walked over to Chiaki's place at the front of the stage just as the Orchestra Hall was starting to empty. He had been watching the rehearsal the entire time and quite frankly he was enjoying every minute of it.

"You've done something to them, Shinichi," continued a very pleased Barenboim, patting Chiaki on the back in a fatherly manner.

Chiaki made a small smile and muttered, "They've always been a great orchestra anyway."

"To be sure," Barenboim agreed with a nod. "Didn't Stravinsky once say that the Chicago Symphony was the most flexible orchestra in the world?"

_Really_, thought Chiaki, impressed.

"Ah, speaking of Stravinsky," the music director continued, "a friend of a friend of mine came into contact with me the other day. He said he watched the first performance you had this season with Megumi and that he was very impressed – "

"By Nodame," Chiaki finished. _Of course he would be_, he added in his mind.

" – by you."

"You're joking," said Chiaki who was quite surprised.

He had grown accustomed to all the praises the Golden Pair had received over the years and he accepted the fact that there were more compliments raised for the pianist than the conductor. Of course, Chiaki knew that he was indeed more talented than Nodame would ever be. He knew that, like the orchestra he was conducting at the moment, he was a flexible performer and he was able to synchronize his music easily with anybody. However, it was true that Nodame was a far more intriguing creature than him and her personality much more likeable in a particular way. Not that anybody really hated Chiaki.

"_They just like you with an effort!"_

Nodame's words, which she had uttered so many years ago when they were still university students, came back to him.

_I'm hard to like_, Chiaki thought, _but here is a person who was impressed by my performance_.

"Who was that friend?" he asked.

"My old colleague Claudio," answered Barenboim. "You know, Claudio Abbado, the Italian conductor."

"That's. . . amazing," Chiaki said, grasping for the right words. He knew Claudio Abbado was a well-respected figure in his field and to be commended by one of the greatest conductors of the modern age was indeed extremely flattering.

"Actually, it was Claudio's friend who was impressed by your work," said Barenboim. "I _did_ say it was a friend of a friend of mine. . . ."

Chiaki felt his ego deflate in an instant.

_Dammit_, he thought furiously, trying to fight off the urge to hit the music director in the face.

"Claudio's friend is one of the chairpersons of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra," Barenboim explained. "As you know, the VPO doesn't appoint principal conductors and they usually only invite guests to conduct for them. Which brings me back to Stravinsky. . . ."

Chiaki looked at him intently, waiting for more.

"Do you like Stravinsky?" asked Barenboim simply.

"What?" Chiaki asked in confusion.

"The VPO's inviting you to conduct Stravinsky's _Firebird_ in September," said Barenboim.

Chiaki's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak but he found that no words could come out. He was too happy about this invitation to say anything.

"That's a 'yes', then?" asked Barenboim, seeing the look of controlled excitement on Chiaki's face.

"Definitely," he answered as he finally smiled broadly.

"Great, he says he'll try to come round sometime next week to talk to you," added Barenboim, stepping off the stage and making his way towards the exit.

_Vienna Philharmonic?_ thought Chiaki in amazement. _This opportunity doesn't come around very often in a man's life._

He pulled out his phone, eager to tell Nodame at once, but he saw that she had only just replied to his previous message. He saw that her reply was only one short sentence.

_See you in Chicago on the 13__th__!_

Chiaki's heart skipped a beat. Nodame was going to watch his performance. He was going to see her again.

_After less than a month!_ he thought. _This is too good to be true._

He pressed the Reply button to tell her that he was going to conduct the VPO in September, but managed to resist the urge to do so.

_Maybe some other day_, he settled. _Maybe on the 13__th__._

Chiaki smirked at himself as he tucked away his scores into his bag, his mind filled with images of Nodame yelping with delight upon finding out that he was going to conduct one of the most VIP orchestras in the world.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another long chapter! Am I improving or considerably growing worse?

I managed to squeeze in a bit of _PuriGorota_ here because, after all, Nodame Cantabile would not be Nodame Cantabile without everybody's (READ: Nodame's) favorite little boy Gorota and his fairy sidekick Prilin and of course the big bully Kazuo!

Wasn't that old lady talking to Nodame just a bit too intrusive?

Claudio Abbado is also a real person. He's an Italian conductor famous for his work in operas. I'm not exactly sure if he's actually friends with Daniel Barenboim but they probably do know each other since they've worked with nearly all the same people in the classical music industry.

I chose to include the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra because I think its background is very interesting. I'll try to work out something concerning the VPO in later chapters. If you want, you could research about the VPO but maybe you'll just find a spoiler there. ;-)

I hope Igor Stravinsky doesn't mind me quoting him.

Sorry I'm talking too much again.

Your comments are very much appreciated.


	8. Lesson 8

**LESSON EIGHT**

Her eyes determinedly fixed on the massive double doors leading to the main theater of the Orchestra Hall, Nodame made her way through the throngs of people in the lobby. She had so far managed to escape the notice of certain individuals she passed by who happened to be talking about her.

"Yes, I've heard of her, of course."

"Megumi Noda, the Japanese pianist, right?"

"The other half of the Golden Pair!"

"She has a concert with the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra the week after next, have you heard?"

"If I had the money for airfare, I'd watch it!"

_Is Nodame really that famous?_ she asked herself as she passed the group of chattering music lovers.

Before entering the concert hall, Nodame looked down at the ticket in her hands. She read there that she was seated somewhere in the middle of the fourth row. It was definitely one of the best seats available and it had been given especially to her.

"Chiaki-senpai. . ." she whispered with a beam. Her thoughts lingered on him for the rest of the evening.

As she took her seat, she kept her eyes on the huge stage in front of her. The orchestra's chairs and music stands were neatly arranged to form an arc around a high platform at the front of the stage. She remembered that she had performed on that stage only a few weeks before and tried to recall how she felt as she went out onto it to face the thousands of people who came to watch her perform. Strangely, she couldn't remember exactly how she was feeling at the time. She was unsure whether it was nervousness at the realization of the number of people who were watching or excitement at the thought of being able to perform as the Golden Pair with Chiaki.

_Tonight Senpai will be performing by himself_, she thought. _I hope he'll be fine without me._

Nodame giggled softly at herself for her thoughts.

In a moment, the lights began to dim and the audience quickly silenced themselves. When the lights brightened again, Nodame saw the orchestra members filing out of the backstage door and proceeding to their positions in an almost solemn manner. After a few minutes of tuning their instruments, the orchestra sat in silence. It was then that Chiaki entered the stage, meeting the thunderous applause of the audience.

Chiaki immediately scanned the audience, looking for the one person he wanted to watch him perform that night. As he reached the conductor's podium, he caught a glimpse of her face, glowing with enthusiasm. He felt warmth overtaking his body.

_She came_, he thought happily as he turned his head to look at her again.

Even in the darkness, he saw Nodame return him a smile.

Turning to face the orchestra, Chiaki opened his score to the first page and took up his baton.

_It's time to enjoy music_, he thought.

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"Shinichi!"

Chiaki looked around to see Barenboim enter his dressing room. The old man had a zealous twinkle in his eyes.

"That was a superb performance!" said the music director. "Congratulations," he added, holding out his hand, which Chiaki shook.

"Thank you," Chiaki answered.

"You have a visitor waiting outside," Barenboim continued. "You better let her come in right away, she's already crying her eyes out."

Chiaki sighed tiredly, although he was very pleased that he had moved Nodame to tears. Not that it was really that hard to do.

"Tell her to come in," he said as he turned to look at his reflection in the large mirror. He tugged at the sleeve of his suit to straighten its creases.

Chiaki immediately jerked his hands away from his clothes.

_What am I doing?_ he thought. _Since when have I cared about how I looked in front of Nodame?_

"Here she is," announced Barenboim as he went into the dressing room again. This time, he was followed by a sobbing woman whose face was buried in a handkerchief. "You two enjoy yourselves now," Barenboim added, giving Chiaki a knowing look before leaving.

Nodame did not move from her place near the door and she kept her face hidden inside her handkerchief. Occasionally, she made loud sniffs.

"Nodame?" asked Chiaki in a wary but gentle tone.

He was answered by a dramatic whimper.

_You idiot_, he thought, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"It was just a symphony," Chiaki whispered in her ear in an oddly sympathetic voice.

Nodame dropped her handkerchief and buried her face in his shoulder. She threw her arms around his waist and continued sobbing.

"It wasn't _just_ a symphony," Chiaki heard her say. "Brahms made that symphony for his great love!"

"Huh?"

"His one and only love Clara Schumann!" Nodame bawled.

"What are you talking about?" asked Chiaki with a bewildered expression.

Nodame finally looked up at his face. Chiaki saw that her eyes were red and swollen and her clogged-up red nose made her look like a famous reindeer.

"Didn't you know, Senpai?" Nodame asked, sniffing. "Brahms was deeply in love with Schumann's wife Clara. She inspired him to compose many of his pieces. But even when Schumann died, he didn't ask Clara to marry him."

"Where did you get that ridiculous conspiracy theory?" said Chiaki exasperatedly, releasing her from his arms.

"It's not a conspiracy theory!" Nodame argued. "All his letters to her say that he loved her!"

"He never said the word 'love,'" reasoned Chiaki. "And where did you read Brahms's letters?"

"Tanya let me borrow a book which was a compilation of all his letters," answered Nodame in a feeble voice.

"That lovesick Tanya Vishnyova?" Chiaki spat. He rolled his eyes.

_You_ hentai, he thought.

"Don't talk about her that way! She's my friend!" retorted Nodame as tears started falling from her eyes once more.

"You haven't talked to her in years," said Chiaki with a strange calm in his voice.

"Yes, I have, Senpai! I talked to her before I left Paris. She moved into the apartment next to mine. Just like what you and I did in the old days!" With that last sentence, she giggled, the expression on her face changing completely.

After staring into her face with a jaded look, Chiaki had to smile.

_You're still so unpredictable_, he said in his mind.

Chiaki picked up Nodame's handkerchief, but instead of giving it to her, he stuffed it into his coat pocket and handed her his dry and much cleaner one.

"Thank you," she muttered as she sat on the dressing room couch. She wiped the last of her tears with Chiaki's handkerchief.

"How's everything going in Hong Kong?" asked Chiaki as he resumed his seat.

"I didn't sleep for three days so I could play the suite perfectly," replied Nodame frankly.

_As expected_, thought Chiaki, rolling his eyes.

"Why did you have to do that?" he asked.

"If Nodame wasn't able to play the piece with the orchestra well within a week, she wouldn't be able to watch Senpai's concert."

"Nodame. . ." Chiaki said in an inaudible voice, his gaze on her softening.

"That's why I worked very hard," Nodame said, grinning at him. "Ah, Senpai did a good job too! I really liked the Hungarian Dances."

Chiaki smiled back at her.

"Will you come to see me perform?" asked Nodame hopefully.

All at once Chiaki averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry. . . . I can't," he muttered. There was a hint of guilt in his tone of voice.

When Chiaki ventured a glance at Nodame, he saw a pitiful expression of sadness impressed upon it. He felt his heart breaking at the sight. His eyes slowly focused on her lips, which were quivering.

_Idiot, don't cry anymore!_ he thought.

Suddenly Nodame stared back at him, her eyes big and wide as though she was a curious four-year-old. Her mouth continued to quiver but just then a mischievous grin broke out on it.

"Senpai, you really didn't think I was going to be depressed about it, did you?" she said, smirking. A shade of bright pink appeared on her cheeks.

Chiaki could only stare at her dumbfoundedly.

_I know you're just saying that,_ he said in his mind. _You really _are_ sad about it._

Chiaki turned his eyes away and sighed. He was tired of Nodame pretending but was gratified that she had resisted the desire to have another one of her horrific mood swings. She had at least saved him some aggravation for the time being. But Chiaki couldn't help but think that all this play-acting was aggravating him even more.

_You don't always have to be so brave_, he thought.

"Nodame. . ." he began in a weary tone.

"It doesn't matter if you don't make it to Nodame's concert in Hong Kong," continued Nodame brightly. "But you _have_ to do Rachmaninoff's concerto with me next year. You promised."

_That was stupid of me_, Chiaki thought, remembering the scenario he had made at the airport. He recalled screaming his lungs out at her that they would perform together again the following year just to make her stop crying.

"Senpai, _you promised_," repeated Nodame in all earnestness.

Chiaki didn't answer.

After a few more moments of complete silence, Nodame came to the realization that she would be receiving no answer at all. To keep the conversation going, she changed the topic.

"I'm leaving tonight," she said simply.

"What?" asked Chiaki, surprised.

_No, don't leave,_ he thought. _Not yet._

"I have to catch a flight at 12 o'clock," Nodame continued as she stood up. "Elize says she'll kill me if I stay any longer here."

_Damn that woman_, thought Chiaki savagely.

"I'll drive you to the airport," he volunteered at once. He was astonished at himself for his spontaneous show of charity, but took it as an opportunity to be able to spend even the last few minutes with her while she was still in Chicago.

"No, really, I'll take a taxi," replied Nodame quickly.

He immediately stood up and grabbed her arm with a force that was supposed to show her that he was serious about it.

"I insist," he said quite elegantly.

Chiaki was even more surprised when Nodame laughed loudly. He looked down into her face with a confounded expression.

"Senpai, that was so cool!" she said breathlessly, her eyes full of enthusiasm.

_What is she on about?_ he thought, completely perplexed.

"Nodame, you're not making sense," said Chiaki.

Giggling, she said thoughtfully, "I hardly ever do."

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"Senpai, thank you so much!" Nodame said as she stepped out of the small but sophisticated silver Lexus into the sharp Chicago night air.

Chiaki closed the passenger door as she came out of the car and muttered, "It was no problem."

"_Gyabo_, this place is freezing!" said Nodame, shivering. "And to think that it's already June! Senpai, how can you survive this sort of weather?" she added.

"It's. . . fine," Chiaki answered, unsure of what he was going to say. "I thought you said you wanted to stay here," he put in, remembering that Nodame had said only a few weeks earlier that she preferred staying in Chicago with him than going anywhere else.

"I did?" she asked in surprise. "How foolish of me. Who would want to spend summer in a place this cold?"

_I don't know, maybe a _hentai _like you_, thought Chiaki, _for somebody like me, anyway._

Chiaki's face twitched.

_Shinichi, you really _are_ an arrogant jerk, aren't you?_ said a voice in his head. Oddly enough, the voice sounded like his mother's.

"You should go to Paris sometime," said Nodame. "It's very warm there now."

"I'll think about it," murmured Chiaki. "Maybe I'll visit you."

"Ah!" exclaimed Nodame. "Senpai, I'm sorry but Nodame won't be in Paris for a very long time. I have a lot of places to go to this time of the year."

"You mean Hong Kong?"

"No, other places."

_What places? _thought Chiaki. _Why hasn't she told me?_

"Where?" he asked almost sharply.

"Oh, here and there," replied Nodame with a small smile.

"Are you going on vacation?"

"I don't really have time for vacation nowadays," said Nodame sheepishly. "I have to go now, Senpai," she added, turning away from him and making her way toward the airport gate.

_Without saying "goodbye?" I won't let you_, thought Chiaki, staring after her with longing in his eyes.

Not stopping to think, he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He heard Nodame gasp and say something very softly, but he did not hear a word of it. He buried his face into her hair and took in a strangely fragrant scent.

They stood still for a few minutes, locked in that embrace, until Chiaki whispered, "Just like that?"

Nodame turned around, releasing herself from Chiaki's hold on her.

"Just like what?" she asked anxiously.

Expecting a euphoric Nodame looking back at him, Chiaki was surprised at her rather uneasy reaction.

_What's wrong with you?_ he thought in frustration. _Hug me back, you _hentai! _Isn't that what you want?_

"Just like what, Shinichi-kun?" Nodame repeated, noticing his silence.

_She said it again_, Chiaki thought. _"Shinichi-kun."_

At last speaking up, Chiaki said, "You were going to leave just like that? '_I have to go now, Senpai_?'" There was more than a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Nodame, an expression of complete confusion on her face, opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, having nothing to say.

_Dammit, what am I doing?_ thought Chiaki, perplexed at his own actions. He wanted her to return that embrace, even to kiss him.

_But why?_ he asked himself.

Nodame kept her eyes fixed on him for a moment then threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear. "Nodame forgot to say 'goodbye.'"

With that last word, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.

_You idiot, you think that will suffice?_ Chiaki said in his mind.

He grabbed Nodame by the shoulders and planted a deep, warm kiss on her lips. Chiaki felt Nodame trying to push him away, but he kept his lips locked with hers, trying to immerse himself completely in the strange passion that he was feeling. Though his consciousness was becoming vaguer and vaguer by the minute, he knew that Nodame had finally stopped struggling to get away. He suddenly shivered when he felt her gently slide her arms around his waist. Chiaki was uncertain whether it was real or it was just his imagination but he felt Nodame pulling him closer to her, intensifying the ardor that was rapidly gushing out of him. Though he enjoyed every second of it, Chiaki was afraid of what would happen if they got any closer and with much regret he pulled away.

Regaining his consciousness, he saw that Nodame's cheeks were now a vivid red. She was staring at the ground with her lips protruding in a pout.

"Nodame. . ." he began uneasily. "I shouldn't have – I'm so sorry. I didn't – "

He didn't finish his sentence as Nodame's eyes very slowly met his. Looking into them, he beheld a baffled, almost distrustful, expression. He felt his heart sinking.

"You were great, Senpai," said Nodame softly. Her tone seemed to be wary.

_Where was I great?_ Chiaki asked in his mind, hoping she would say something about the kiss or the embrace.

"I especially liked Hungarian Dance No. 5," she continued.

_Dammit_, he thought, feeling deflated.

"See you," Nodame said, making a small and rather artificial smile at him for a split-second before entering the gate. She didn't look back at him.

_What have I done?_ Chiaki asked himself, enraged at his own behavior.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** How was it? Too long, I know.

There really _is_ no conspiracy theory about Johannes Brahms having an affair with the pianist Clara Schumann, the wife of Robert Schumann. However, based on Brahms's letters to Clara, many historians believe that Brahms was indeed very much in love with her. When I read those letters, I thought so too. ;-)

The _"You don't always have to be so brave"_ line which Chiaki said was originally Dennis Quaid's line in the 1998 film _The Parent Trap_. Just to let you know, I didn't make that up myself.

I got the idea of Chiaki hugging Nodame from behind from Volume 9 of the manga / Episode 23 of the anime / Episode 11 of the drama. Of course, I have to thank Ninomiya Tomoko for that.

I owe my apologies once again for Chiaki's foul mouth and my uncontrollably talkative one.

As always, I would love to hear from you.


	9. Lesson 9

**LESSON NINE**

He had not heard from her in six weeks. She had not called him or even sent him a message. He didn't know how she was, what she was doing, not even where she was at the moment. Her line of work meant that she could have been anywhere in the world and Chiaki couldn't think of any particular place where she would actually be, remembering that she had said that she would go to many places that summer.

Inwardly, Chiaki wanted very badly to give her a call or send her an e-mail, but fear stopped him from doing so. He was afraid of how she would answer him. He knew that any communication from either side would only remind both of them about the horrifying (and wonderful) kiss they had shared at the airport more than a month before and Chiaki dared not even think about how Nodame felt about _that_.

The memory of the kiss was still fixed on Chiaki's mind and, though he would never _ever_ admit it to anyone, he had spent nearly all the nights dreaming of it and if he could not sleep, he thought about it and recalled every second of the pleasure of it. He knew this wasn't a good thing and he admitted that he was obsessed by it, but he relished the fact that he was able to have a taste of those lips again after so many long years.

And yet, after all the time he spent delighting in the memory of it, fear still overtook him. He was afraid that Nodame would turn him away and that he would lose all chances of getting another kiss (and perhaps even more than a kiss). He dreaded how Nodame felt about the entire situation, even though he had no idea at all about _how_ she felt. However, he was more afraid of getting more than what he had already received. He contemplated with horror about what might have happened if he had gone past his limit, if he had allowed Nodame to pull him even closer to her.

He knew it. He wanted her. He desired everything about her, her music, her lips, her body, her very being. He wanted her desperately and he wanted her _now_. But he couldn't talk to her or even make any initiative to see her. Chiaki had not mustered enough courage for that.

For the past six weeks, he was possessed. He could not think of anything or anybody else but her. He was distracted and restless and he hated the fact that becoming completely engrossed in his music could not even cure his obsession. It had _always_ helped him take his mind off his troubles, but this time it did not work. His music had failed him and he was agitated about it.

Even so, he could not help but ponder the way Nodame had responded to his initiation of the kiss. At first, she had tried to get away from him. He remembered how she struggled to push him away. Perhaps she was shocked, but he could not blame her for that. Nevertheless, Chiaki savored some satisfaction when he recalled the way she had gradually succumbed to his will. He remembered her touch softening, how she had embraced him and went so far as pulling him even nearer to her. Chiaki made the reasonable conclusion that _she_ had also felt some sort of gratification from it. He was worried, though, about the effects that the situation might have brought up. Did she suddenly develop feelings of loathing, of _hatred_ for him because of his recklessness? Did she feel that she was just being manipulated and that her dignity was being abused?

_No, how could she think that?_ thought Chiaki. _She must have been able to tell how I feel about her, how I _still _feel about her after eight years of being separated. She isn't the brightest of people, but she can't have been _that_ dense. . . right?_ he added with a ring of uncertainty.

Groaning, Chiaki pulled his small wheeled suitcase into the airport's departure gate and whipped out his plane ticket and passport as he joined the line of passengers at the check-in counter. He was taking an Air France 747 to Paris, where he would meet a few acquaintances (and perhaps even Nodame) before he would leave for Vienna.

_Maybe I shouldn't pay her a visit_, he thought, knowing he didn't have the guts to face her if she was prepared to confront him with her deadly flying kick.

_But I survived all the times she'd done the flying kick on me_, he reasoned in his mind. _I don't have to be afraid of her._

After a moment of deep thinking, he made up his mind.

_Fine, I _will_ pay her a visit_, he thought, _and I don't care if she meets me with the flying kick or whatever other stunts she knows._

"Excuse me, sir."

Chiaki jumped in surprise upon hearing the check-in personnel's voice.

"Please hand me your passport," said the personnel rather impatiently.

"Here," said Chiaki, quickly handing over the passport with an embarrassed look on his face.

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"I'm afraid she's not here," said the landlady concernedly. She was peering out the large gate leading to Nodame's apartment compound in Paris with her cocker spaniel Espérance in her arms.

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" asked Chiaki.

"The last time I saw her was about two weeks ago," replied the landlady, caressing the dog's fur. "She just dropped by to get some of her clothes because she said she was going to have a well-earned vacation. She didn't say where, though."

_Vacation?_ thought Chiaki. _That idiot. Didn't she say she didn't have time to go on vacation?_

"Did she go on vacation alone?" Chiaki continued.

"She was with that woman who always visits her, the German lady with blonde hair."

_Elize_, he thought.

Chiaki nodded and said nothing for a few minutes while the landlady stared at him curiously.

"Ah, it's you!" she suddenly exclaimed. "You're _him_!" she screeched excitedly, making sure to emphasize the last word.

_What is she talking about?_ Chiaki asked himself.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" he asked politely.

"Mademoiselle Nodame performs with you often, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then you must be her boyfriend!"

"I beg your pardon?" said Chiaki, shocked at the landlady's statement.

"Well, aren't you?" she continued. "You were the one who asked her to come to Europe with you, right? You were the one who always took care of her and made sure she was eating well, right?"

The landlady smiled at Chiaki, who had a bit of difficulty returning it.

_How in the world did this woman find out?_ he thought furiously. _I can't believe she's been telling everybody about us! Or, at least, about how we _were_!_

All at once, Chiaki was struck with an idea. Deciding to play along with the landlady's belief that he was Nodame's boyfriend, he ventured to ask, "Has she told anything about me. . . recently?"

"Let me think. . ." said the landlady. She hesitated for a while before saying, "Nothing much."

Chiaki heaved a sigh of disappointment.

"She just said that she was quite unhappy right now and that's the reason why she wants to go on vacation very badly," the landlady said.

"Unhappy?" _Because of me, obviously_, he added in his mind.

"I'm sorry but I have to be honest with you, young man," said the landlady in a sympathetic but stern voice. "Mademoiselle Nodame told me she was unhappy about the way things are going on between the two of you."

_I would be surprised if she wasn't_, he thought.

"Did she say why?" asked Chiaki with feigned worry.

"She didn't tell me the details," explained the landlady, "but I think it has something to do with a certain thing you talked about."

_We didn't talk about anything,_ thought Chiaki. _We just kissed._

"Is she angry about it?" he continued.

"I don't think so. She just seemed rather down. And she did mention that you rarely called her or sent her messages anymore," the landlady added.

_She wanted me to call and send her e-mails?_ he thought in surprise. He smiled at himself for realizing that Nodame also wanted to see him, to even just communicate with him.

"She misses you terribly," said the landlady. "But you live in America, don't you? That's very far from here."

"My work is there," Chiaki replied, "so I have to live away from her."

"Why don't you ask her to marry you, then things will be easier for both of you?" suggested the landlady. Seeing the look of annoyance on Chiaki's countenance, she immediately added, "Sorry, I believe I've intruded too much."

_I'm glad you realized it_, thought Chiaki crossly.

"If you want, you can see her friend who lives next door," said the landlady. "Perhaps she knows where your girlfriend is."

"Tanya's here?" inquired Chiaki, hope stirring inside of him.

"You know her, too?" asked the landlady, who seemed to be happy that Chiaki was acquainted with Nodame's friends. "Come in, then, young man. I'll take you to Mademoiselle Tanya's apartment upstairs."

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"I'm so glad you're here, Chiaki!" Tanya squealed with excitement as she forced Chiaki onto one of the chairs placed around her rectangular dining table. She flashed a quick grin at him before busying herself with something she was cooking in a deep pot on her stove.

"You _will_ have lunch with me, right?" she continued as she scooped up a bit of what she was cooking with a spoon and tasted it. It turned out to be an orange-colored soup.

"No, thank you, I'll be leaving right away," said Chiaki hurriedly.

"Oh, come on!" said Tanya in a voice that was close to a whine. She rushed over to Chiaki and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "I made this _minestrone_ with lots of little pasta bits and tomatoes for lunch today! I don't make this often, you know, so consider yourself special!"

Chiaki glanced at the remains of the thick soup on Tanya's spoon and tried not to look too suspicious about it.

_That doesn't even _look _like _minestrone, he thought. _It looks more like_ pot-au-feu _to me. How could she mix up Italian cooking with French cuisine?_

"Why, are you rushing for an appointment this afternoon?" asked Tanya, spotting the look of reluctance on her guest's face.

"I'm leaving for Vienna early tomorrow morning," Chiaki answered, "and I'll be having dinner with my mother tonight right after I meet somebody from the Roux-Marlet Orchestra."

Of course, Chiaki was aware that the last part of his sentence was a downright lie. He knew his mother was staying with the Miyoshi family in Tokyo and that he wasn't going to meet anybody from the orchestra he used to conduct. He had already settled all his appointments the previous day and had a perfectly free schedule that afternoon. Chiaki, however, was mindful of the fact that Tanya was an incredibly annoying and rather nosy woman at times and because of that he had tried to avoid her company as much as possible.

_Maybe she'll tell me where Nodame is, though_, he said to himself.

"On second thought," he began, "I'm going to cancel my meeting this afternoon."

Tanya let out a delighted shriek and went back to her cooking.

"Did you watch Nodame's concert in Hong Kong?" she asked, carefully pouring the soup into two large bowls.

Chiaki hesitated before replying, "No, I was. . . busy."

"I wasn't able to watch either," Tanya moaned. "But it was a huge success, wasn't it? Rumor has it she's all set for a repeat performance with the Hong Kong Symphony in December."

_She hasn't told me a thing_, he thought bitterly.

"That's great, I'll be sure to watch that," Chiaki said.

"Franck was saying something about it," continued Tanya, "but nothing's been announced yet. It's probably a bit of gossip he made up."

"How is Franck, by the way? Is he in Paris?"

"Oh, he is," said Tanya as she conjured two pairs of eating utensils from her kitchen drawer. "He was planning on moving here too so all three of us would still be together, but somebody got the last vacant room ahead of him. He lives just around the corner from here, though."

"Where does he work now?"

"He's been with the Opéra Ballet since last August."

Chiaki stared at her with a disbelieving face.

_What happened to that idiot?_ he thought. _He's a ballet dancer now?!_

"He's the pianist," Tanya said hastily, seeing that Chiaki had completely misunderstood her statement.

"Oh," said Chiaki flatly, then continuing, "How are the performances?"

"Terrific, of course!" answered Tanya in a passionate tone. "Last month, they did _Swan Lake_ to debut their new members. Most of the new people just graduated from the Opéra School. There was this Swedish guy who played Siegfried – I forgot what his name was, but he was so hot!" She giggled with that final word.

_I was asking about Franck's piano_, thought Chiaki.

"What about you?" he inquired. "How's your work at the Conservatoire?"

"Ah, Nodame hasn't told you?" asked Tanya curiously. "I resigned from teaching. All along, I knew it wasn't for me. I'm just too impatient for that sort of thing. Even when I was a student, I was so bored having classes so _teaching_ those classes would have felt just the same!"

_Then why did you decide to teach in the first place?!_ thought Chiaki heatedly.

"So what are you doing now?" he asked.

"I'm still at the Conservatoire, but I'm working at the Admissions Office now. It's a pretty easy job, sitting in front of a computer all day, filing documents, stapling papers, that sort of thing. . . ."

Tanya's voice trailed off as she placed the bowls and utensils on a tray and carried the tray to the dining table.

"_Voila_!" she exclaimed, putting one of the bowls in front of Chiaki. "Doesn't it look scrumptious?"

Chiaki ignored her and said, "And you're satisfied with that?"

"With what?" said Tanya, furling her eyebrows in confusion.

"With your new job," answered Chiaki seriously. "Are you happy in your situation right now?"

Tanya slowly sat down and put the other bowl in front of her before saying, "In my situation right now, I don't get to play the piano for other people. But I'm still working at the Conservatoire, aren't I? I'm still helping students get the chance to learn music and to use it to achieve great things. I'm happy that I'm able to help nurture their talents."

_By sorting their documents?_ Chiaki thought.

"Are you all right not playing the piano?" he continued.

"I still get to play the piano," Tanya insisted. "When Yasu comes over to practice, I accompany him. And when I don't have any work and I'm bored, I play the piano for fun – "

_For fun? Are you kidding me?_ he thought.

"So all that hard work you went through at the Conservatoire, all those nights you didn't sleep so you could perfect the pieces. . . . All of that sums up to this?" said Chiaki in a low, resentful voice.

"To what, Chiaki?"

"_To a petty office worker_," he said in a nearly inaudible voice.

Tanya looked like she had just been slapped. She glanced at Chiaki for barely a moment before she looked down to hide the tears falling from her eyes.

"I was never good enough," she mumbled.

"What?"

"From the beginning, I knew I wasn't as talented as the others," said Tanya, dabbing at her tears with a silky handkerchief. "I was just one of the average students at the Conservatoire. I wasn't like Lucas, who was famous for being a child prodigy, or Nodame, who was like a celebrity because of her amazing technique. Franck was supposed to be Professor Auclair's pupil too and everybody knows Auclair only teaches the best. Yun Long was just like them too. All my friends were brilliant and they all seemed like they were destined to get to high places. I was always out of place around them but I was happy that I was accepted in their company."

_I never knew she thought so lowly of herself_, thought Chiaki.

"I don't have the ability to be like Nodame," she continued. "She was a born pianist and she has a talent that is so rare that people are dying to hear more of it. But I'm not like her. I can never be a world-famous virtuoso like her."

Chiaki couldn't say anything.

Tanya went on, "That's why I wanted to teach piano. If I couldn't perform on stages in front of hundreds of people, at least I would be able to share my music with students."

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Chiaki, finally speaking. "To be able to impart your talent to others?"

"It is," replied Tanya weakly, "but teaching isn't my thing. Since I could become neither a concert pianist nor a piano teacher, I had no other choice. I tried looking for a job as a pianist at bars or hotel lounges, but there weren't any. That's why I'm just a petty office worker now." Chiaki thought he heard a soft whimper as Tanya said that last sentence.

"How are you and Kuroki-kun doing?" Chiaki asked, changing the subject.

"He's going to have a recital in Vienna next week," said Tanya. "You _will_ watch it, right? There's going to be a series of performances by soloists from all over to celebrate Kyle Dune's birthday. You know him, don't you? He used to be the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. Isn't that why you're going to Vienna?"

"No, I'm supposed to meet an old friend there," replied Chiaki. "Maybe I'll go see Kuroki-kun's performance, though. Who else is participating?" he added.

"I don't know all of them," said Tanya, "but Yasu said some of his Japanese friends were invited to perform as well. He told me about this person who plays the cello, the good-looking guy with glasses. I think he won First Place at the Tortelier International Cello Competition two years ago."

"Toru Kikuchi," Chiaki volunteered.

_He's somebody worth seeing_.

"Yes, that's him!" Tanya said. "And there was this other one, a small girl with curly hair. She came in Third at the Quantz Flute Competition in January."

"Maiko Aizawa."

_Not bad either._

"I figured you knew all these Japanese people since you're Japanese yourself," said Tanya matter-of-factly.

_Being Japanese doesn't really have anything to do with it,_ said Chiaki wryly in his mind.

"Yasu said not to tell anybody," Tanya continued in a hushed voice as she leaned her head closer to Chiaki, "but there's going to be this big-name making a surprise appearance during the last night of performances."

_Then don't tell_, Chiaki thought.

Tanya stared at Chiaki's face, waiting for him to say something. His silence beckoned her to tell him more and after a few more moments, Tanya's blabbermouth antics got the better of her and she hissed excitedly, "_It's Itzhak Perlman!_"

_That's amazing_, he thought, now incredibly impressed.

"I'll definitely be watching, then," said Chiaki almost nonchalantly.

"I wish _I_ could, but next week's the enrollment date for incoming students at the Conservatoire," Tanya explained sadly. "Please give Yasu my love for me, Chiaki."

_How?!_ thought Chiaki.

After a while, Chiaki took up his spoon and sipped his _minestrone_.

_It's so-so_, he thought haughtily.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** My longest chapter ever! I enjoyed writing Chiaki's conversation with Tanya too much. I hope _you_ enjoyed reading it. ;-)

There really _is_ no Tortelier International Cello Competition or a Quantz Flute Competition. I just made those up. I named the Tortelier Competition after the celebrated French cellist Paul Tortelier and the Quantz Competition after the German flautist Johann Quantz, who was famous for composing over 500 works for the flute alone and for adding a few features to the instrument.

Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-American violinist and conductor. He is known for his technique and mastery over the violin and for being incapacitated by polio (it hasn't stopped him from being brilliant, though, has it?).

Will this be a Rising Star Orchestra reunion? Hmm. . .

Sorry once again for such a long author's note.

As always, I would love to hear your comments.


	10. Lesson 10

**LESSON**** TEN**

"Why are we here?" Elize asked in a disgusted voice.

"Don't you think all the animals are cute?" said Nodame delightedly. "There _is_ a funny sort of smell but this place is so much fun! _Gyabo_, it's an elephant!" she added in a squeal, pulling Elize by the wrist toward the menagerie of an African elephant.

Nodame had (literally and figuratively) dragged Elize into Vienna's Tiergarten Zoo for her version of a nice "vacation." She was enjoying every moment of their visit to the zoo but for Elize, it was a different story. Nodame's manager felt as though she was chaperoning a little schoolgirl on her First Grade field trip.

"Ah!" Nodame exclaimed as she read the signboard in front of the menagerie. "It's just a baby, but it's already so big!"

"_It's an elephant_," Elize muttered furiously under her breath.

"Look, it's holding out its trunk at us!" said Nodame, jumping up and down with excitement. "Nodame will touch it!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" snapped Elize, taking hold of Nodame's outstretched hands and pulling her away from the elephant. She led Nodame to one of the benches along the wide visitors' path and forced her onto it.

"Is it your first time going to a zoo?" Elize asked in disbelief as she sat next to her overexcited client.

"My dad took me to a petting zoo in Kurume once when I was seven," said Nodame. "I saw all the little rabbits and ducks there. It was very fun. Nodame had a great time."

"Where in the world is Kurume?" asked Elize impatiently.

"It's a town a long way off from my hometown Okawa," Nodame explained. "My dad knew a farmer there who also raised animals. His friend said they were holding a petting zoo for one week and I had never been to a zoo before, so my dad took me there. But this big place is much more fun," she added with a bright smile.

Elize glanced at her wristwatch and said, "We better get going. You're supposed to be meeting Kiyora Miki and all the other soloists at the Volksoper at three o'clock this afternoon."

"Eh? What for?" asked Nodame. "We haven't seen all the animals yet!"

Elize stood up and walked briskly off in the direction of the zoo's exit gate.

Pouting, Nodame slowly got up from the bench and mumbled, "I wasn't able to see the mongoose exhibit yet. . ."

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"Megumi-chan? Is that you?"

Nodame turned around and saw a familiar young man making his way toward her in the lobby of the Volksoper, which was also known as the People's Opera, a famous opera house in Vienna.

"Kuroki-kun!" she gasped. "It's been a while!"

"How are you, Megumi-chan?" Kuroki asked politely, bowing at her.

"I'm doing very well. How about you?"

"I'm fine," answered Kuroki. "What are you doing here? Did Kiyora-chan invite you to perform too?"

"Yes, I'm having a recital on Thursday," said Nodame, "and I'm playing a quintet during the final performance on Saturday."

"Since when have you been in Vienna?"

"Just since yesterday," Nodame replied. "I had a nice vacation in Italy. We went to a beautiful resort in the Calabrian coast with white sandy beaches and clear blue-green water. It was such a pretty place."

"Ah, did you go there with Chiaki-kun?" Kuroki asked.

Nodame paused for a second then said, "No, I was with my manager Elize." She had a slightly guilty expression on her face, which Kuroki couldn't place.

"I see," he answered.

"What about you? Did Kuroki-kun go on vacation?"

"No, I didn't," replied Kuroki. "I've been practicing with the Roux-Marlet all summer and I just submitted my leave of absence to be here in Vienna."

"Then you must be so tired," said Nodame with childlike thoughtfulness.

Kuroki smiled and said, "I'd like to think of _this_ as my vacation."

"Next summer, Nodame will take you to the Calabrian coast so you'll get to see the beach too!"

"Ah, really, there's no need," Kuroki muttered hurriedly, looking shy.

"Eh? It will be fun, you'll see."

"Megumi-chan?" said Kuroki.

"What is it?"

"Let's get inside."

"Oh, right! Let's go, then."

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"_Gyabo_, what a difficult piece," Nodame muttered, staring at the front cover of the topmost score sheet among a thick pile which she was given. It read in French, "The 12 Transcendental Studies of Franz Liszt" and Nodame was told to choose one of the longer ones to perform during her recital.

She whimpered and pulled out another score beneath "The 12 Transcendental Studies" and looked at its cover. This time she winced. Written in bold print were the words "J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations."

"_If Nodame had known that all her pieces would be technical studies_," she said irately under her breath. Her hold on the score tightened in fury.

When she pulled out the third score sheet, a smile appeared on her lips.

"This is better," she said, reading "Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor Op. 13 '_Pathétique_.'" It was one of Beethoven's earliest and most famous works for piano and Nodame's personal favorite since her college days. It reminded her of her youth, her once carefree (and care_less_) playing style, and the person who had motivated her to change that carefree style into something more serious and beautiful. Nodame sighed nostalgically as she pulled out the fourth score.

"Eh? Chopin?" she asked in wonder as she saw the words "A Selection of Mazurkas, Polonaises, Waltzes, and Nocturnes by Frédéric François Chopin" on the cover. She noticed that it was the thickest score in the pile.

"This is unbelievable!" she muttered, fuming. "Nodame has to read _all_ these scores?!"

Nodame's wrath was immediately extinguished when she pulled out the fifth and last score.

"_Ah!_" she exclaimed in delight. "Rachmaninoff!"

The words "S. Rachmaninoff's 24 Preludes in Major and Minor Keys" were printed on the nearly tattered cover.

When Nodame opened the score to the very first page, she saw a pink Post-it note attached to the top left-hand corner. It read:

_Nodame-chan, here's the repertoire for your solo recital on Thursday: one Transcendental Étude by Liszt (either No. 11 or No. 12); any seven of the Goldberg Variations by Bach; the _Pathétique _Sonata by Beethoven; three mazurkas, two nocturnes, and Waltz No. 6 by Chopin; and Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp Minor. As to the piece for the quintet during the final performance, we're still considering either Brahms or Schumann. If you have any questions, just call me. Yours, Kiyora._

Nodame carefully closed the cover and placed all the scores inside her black tote bag. She stood still for a moment and took in a whiff of the fresh summer air, which was quite cool during that particular afternoon. She looked up at the imposing façade of the hotel in front of her and noticed the intricate details carved onto its cream-colored stone walls.

"They put in so much effort into it," she muttered in awe.

She continued to gape at the stately structure until a statuesque woman wearing a peach shawl around her shoulders came out of its glass doors and shrieked, "_Noda Megumi!_ You're staying here too?!"

Nodame's eyes widened.

"Tagaya. . . Saiko?"

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"What are you doing in Vienna?" Saiko asked. "Are you performing for Kyle Dune's birthday too?"

Saiko beamed at Nodame, who stared at her with a look of bewilderment.

_Tagaya Saiko has never spoken to me before_, thought Nodame in confusion, _except for that time we met in the restroom at the _karaoke_ more than ten years ago._

"Ah, don't you remember me?" asked Saiko when Nodame didn't answer. "I'm Tagaya Saiko. We used to attend Momogaoka Music Academy together. I was in the Singing Division."

"You were Chiaki-senpai's ex-girlfriend," said Nodame in a blunt tone.

Saiko seemed taken aback but nodded and said, "I was. But, you know, I'm getting married!" With that, Saiko made an uncharacteristic squeal and held out her left hand to Nodame.

Nodame saw a single large white diamond set on a thick gold band on Saiko's ring finger.

"Doesn't it look gorgeous?" Saiko gushed.

_Is this Tagaya Saiko?_ Nodame asked herself. _Why isn't she being mean?_

"My fiancé's here too," continued Saiko. "He's staying in the room next to mine and he's just on his way down. We're going to have tea at a café then we'll head for the Volksoper to watch Kikuchi Toru's performance."

"_Kikuchi Toru?!_" gasped Nodame. "The cellist with a lot of girlfriends? So he's here too. Why didn't he attend the soloists' meeting?" she added in a voice that made it look like she was talking to herself.

Saiko ignored her musings and went on, "We'll be staying here until next Saturday so we can watch all the recitals. When's yours?"

"It's on Thursday," said Nodame. "But aren't you performing too?"

Saiko shook her head and answered, "We're just having a vacation here before the summer ends. . . . The wedding's in November. Don't you think Vienna's a lovely place for a honeymoon?"

"Eh?"

"Ah! Here he comes!" said Saiko excitedly, turning to face the entrance to the hotel.

Nodame saw a rather small and thin man coming out of the doors. He was wearing an oversized white polo shirt and baggy black pants. His leather shoes also seemed too big for him. Nodame noticed there was something very familiar about his face (apart from it possessing obvious Japanese features).

Saiko smiled widely and whispered, "He's wonderful, isn't he?"

_Is she talking about that weird-looking person coming out of the door?_ thought Nodame. She stood on tiptoe to see if anybody else was coming out of the entrance after him, but realized that he was the very person Saiko was referring to.

As he approached, Nodame shrieked.

"_Hagya!_" she yelped, placing her hand over her mouth. "It's you! Y-you're. . . the spy from A-Orchestra!"

"What are you talking about, silly girl?" asked Saiko with an amused look. She grabbed the man's hand and announced, "This is my fiancé Okochi Mamoru."

_What the heck happened to this woman's taste?_ Nodame thought.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is quite a short chapter compared to the previous ones. I hope it was fine that I broke it into really short passages.

In case you've forgotten, Okochi Mamoru is the self-proclaimed "Number Two in Conducting Division at Momogaoka Music Academy."

Please take note that my main basis for writing this fic is the live-action drama. Therefore, the character's physical appearances are based on how the actors look like. The events which happened prior to the events in this fic are also those which occurred in the drama. No offense to anime and manga supporters, but I really like the drama much better! I'm not a big fan of anything animated and I like actors working in front of the camera, so I prefer the drama. Of course, the anime and the manga are more complete, but I just love the live-action version! ;-)

Saiko _does_ have terrible taste in men here.

Apologies for the mouth.

Your comments are very much welcome.


	11. Lesson 11

**LESSON ELEVEN**

"Hello?"

"Shinichi? This is your mother."

Chiaki leaned back on the metal café chair and ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly.

_Just when I thought I could find the time to be alone_, he thought, trying to resist the urge to snap his phone shut.

"Are you in Vienna already?" asked his mother.

"I arrived about two hours ago. Why did you call, Mother?"

Seiko paused for about a minute before answering, "I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm a grown man, I can take care of myself," Chiaki reasoned.

"Hmm. . ." said his mother in an amused voice.

_What the hell is up with her?_ thought Chiaki, beginning to lose his patience.

"I heard you haven't been in touch with Nodame for a while," said Seiko. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

_So she's told my mother_, he thought, sighing heavily.

"_She_'s the one who hasn't been keeping in touch," he argued.

"Do you think it's always her responsibility to initiate your conversations?"

_She _should _initiate the conversations_, thought Chiaki reasonably, _since I initiate. . . all the other things._

Chiaki was grateful that his mother could not see how his cheeks had turned red at the thought of "all the other things."

"Nodame has her own life," he said. "If she doesn't want me to be a part of it, it's perfectly fine." He felt an oddly painful sensation inside of him as he said that last sentence.

"Shinichi," said Seiko in a calm voice, "how exactly did it lead to _that_? What did you say to her?"

"I. . . . I don't know, Mother!" he snapped. "I didn't say _anything_!" he added angrily, emphasizing the last word.

"Then what did you do to her? Did you hurt her?"

"No, why would I – ?"

"Did you do something stupid, Shinichi?" asked his mother in a voice that sounded like she expected him to say –

"Yes."

_I might as well admit it_, Chiaki decided.

"Tell me," Seiko said. "I'm willing to listen."

I'm_ not willing to tell you_, he thought.

Chiaki rolled his eyes and groaned. He fiddled with his cigarette for a moment then put it out on the ashtray in front of him.

"Mother. . ." he began. "I couldn't. . . control myself."

Knowing that it was his mother on the other end of the phone, he knew something as vague as "I couldn't control myself" was sufficient enough to explain what he'd done.

"I guessed as much," replied Seiko knowingly. "Did you ask her to marry you?"

_If I did, she'd probably be Mrs. Chiaki by now_, he thought.

Chiaki remained silent.

"Probably not," said Seiko, answering her son's silence. "Did you ask her to move to Chicago with you?"

_If I did, she'd probably already be living there with me by now._

"Sir, here's your order for one large French Roast espresso topped with whipped cream," said the waiter as he set a cup of coffee on Chiaki's table. "Is there anything else you'd like?"

"No, it's fine, thank you," Chiaki replied.

The waiter nodded and went away.

"Sorry, Mother, what were you saying just then?" asked Chiaki.

"I was asking if you asked her to move to Chicago. But I don't think that's it."

_It isn't_, Chiaki thought, taking up the cup and sipping the coffee lightly.

"Then. . . did you have sex with her?"

Chiaki found himself choking and sputtered out his coffee. He could feel the eyes of all the café's customers staring at him and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

_I will kill you, Mother_, he thought ferociously.

"I kissed her," he finally said. "Are you happy now?"

It took a while for his mother to answer. Chiaki knew that there were two reasons why she remained silent: first, she was thinking of the best advice she could give to him regarding the situation and second, she was trying to find the right words to both express _and_ hide her joy. He was certain his mother was definitely happy about what he'd done. She had always been supportive of his relationship with Nodame from the very beginning and she was extremely disappointed when it came to an abrupt end. However, she was also mindful that her son was the one who had ended the relationship and she knew that even at that moment he had no plans of renewing what he and Nodame once had.

"She wasn't too happy about the kiss?" asked Seiko suddenly.

"_How would I know?!_" Chiaki muttered angrily. "It seemed like she was enjoying it," he mumbled as his cheeks turned even redder.

"When was the last time you kissed her before that?"

"More or less. . . eight years ago."

"She must have been startled," Seiko suggested logically. "She knows you're no longer in that kind of relationship, so physical displays like that probably make her uncomfortable now."

"That wasn't the only time," argued Chiaki. "I always hug her or kiss her on the cheek. That one kiss wasn't anything special – "

"It was on the lips, wasn't it?"

"Er, yes?" said Chiaki in a tone that sounded like a question.

"Shinichi," Seiko said in a tired voice, "you really are one of the densest people I have ever met."

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"_Haun!_" said Nodame. "This is the best _sachertorte_ I've ever tasted!"

"Isn't it?!" replied Mine. "I discovered this place about nine years ago. That time, Kiyora and I were supposed to have lunch at this fancy place near the Schönbrunn but the traffic was horrible and we were both already starving so when we saw this place, we just got off the cab and went straight here. It tastes great, doesn't it?"

Nodame nodded fervently, taking another bite of the rich chocolate cake filled with tasty apricot jam.

"Oi, Seika!" Mine called as his daughter approached them from the street. "What took you so long?"

"I saw this shop with the most beautiful dolls in the world!" said Seika dreamily. "When you're done eating, I'll take you there, Aunt Nodame!"

Nodame made an odd sound and exclaimed, "_Aunt_ Nodame?!"

"We're the same age," said Mine, pretending to hit her on the shoulder. "Accept it, you're getting old."

"Hey, Mine-kun, you're older than me by a year!" Nodame said with a pout. "Don't lie! That's bad to teach to your daughter!"

Seika nodded and made a mock frown at Mine. She took the seat next to Nodame and stared at the street in front of their café table. Sometimes, she would point out certain individuals passing by. However, her father determinedly ignored her and continued talking to Nodame.

"Have you seen Chiaki recently?" he asked.

"Almost two months ago," answered Nodame as she devoured the last of the _sachertorte_. Had she not been preoccupied with her food, Mine would have been witness to Nodame's sorrowful behavior. Thankfully, though, she was too busy enjoying her snack.

"Chiaki?" asked Seika curiously. "He was the man on the TV, right?"

"You saw him on TV?" said Nodame, wolfing down the crumbs on her plate.

"He had an interview," Seika said. "Ojiichan and I watched it."

"It was the one with _Classic Life_," explained Mine. "She can't seem to stop talking about it."

"But it was really interesting, Dad!" Seika piped in excitedly. "He was always talking about this woman named Megumi!"

Nodame froze with her fork stuck in her mouth.

Mine began to look uncomfortable and fidgeted for something in his pocket. After a moment's searching, he handed Seika a few Euro notes and hastily said, "Here, go buy that doll you were talking about earlier."

"It's 180 Euros."

"Forget it, then," Mine snapped. "Just go and buy something else."

"But I don't want to buy anything else," complained Seika.

"What about that fairy tale book you saw at the bookshop a few days ago? Go buy that."

"Dad. . ." Seika began.

"Run along now," said Mine, waving his hand in the direction of the street.

Seika stood up and huffed irritably before leaving their table again.

"Ah, Mine-kun, you shouldn't be so grouchy around Seika-chan," Nodame pointed out. "She's just a little kid."

"And she's just like her mother," said Mine grumpily. "Just as annoying and just as hard-headed."

"But isn't that Mine-kun?" asked Nodame, her lips jutting out.

"You. . ." began Mine angrily in an undertone. "_Nodame. . ._"

Just then, Nodame let out a loud fit of laughter. Mine couldn't help but smile this time.

"Mine-kun and Seika-chan are cute together," she continued while still giggling. "You're a very nice father-and-daughter pair. That's because you're very similar. _Mukya!_"

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Chiaki's face twitched.

_That laugh_, he thought. _I would recognize it anywhere._

Chiaki sat up straight on the café chair and looked around at the hundreds of people sitting along that street filled with sidewalk cafés and restaurants, hoping to find a familiar disheveled head of reddish brown hair. To his bitter dismay, there were just too many café customers for him to recognize any faces.

_Maybe I'm just imagining things_, thought Chiaki. _Maybe she's not even here at all._

He slouched back down on the chair and took the last gulp of his coffee.

_Maybe I just miss her too much._

He closed his eyes with a painful expression etched on his face and sighed.

"_Dammit_," he muttered, clenching his fist.

_If you're here in Vienna on this very street, why don't you at least show yourself?!_

"Eh?! Chiaki-senpai!"

Chiaki immediately sat back up again and turned his head to where the speaker was. A few feet away from him was the one person he had been dying to see for a while. He saw that she was clutching her favorite black tote bag with a picture of a piano's keyboard on it and that her hair made it appear as though she had just woken up. Her cheeks were a bright pink and there was a small smile on her lips. Amidst all the people walking about and the striking signboards and café umbrellas, she seemed to be shining. It took Chiaki's breath away.

"I didn't know you were in Vienna!" she said excitedly, running over to him.

Chiaki stood up and looked utterly speechless.

"I missed you so much!" Nodame whispered as she threw her arms around his neck and embraced him as tightly as she could.

_You don't know how much I missed you too_, Chiaki thought, hugging her back.

"Senpai, did you come to see my performance?" asked Nodame, looking up into his face with an expectant gleam in her eyes.

"Huh?"

_What performance?_ he thought.

"Oh," Nodame muttered miserably, averting her eyes. "I should have known. . . . You must be very busy."

"No," answered Chiaki at once. "I'm not busy at all."

"Then please come to watch Nodame's recital on Thursday!" she said brightly, immediately changing her mood. "I'm playing for the violinist Kyle Dune's birthday!"

Chiaki stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"What pieces are you playing?" he asked as they let go of each other.

"Let me think. . ." began Nodame, her lips beginning to protrude. "Ah! One Transcendental Étude, seven Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's _Pathétique_, a lot of mazurkas and nocturnes and waltzes by Chopin. . . . Oh, I forgot the last one."

_Can she really practice all that in less than three days?_ thought Chiaki doubtfully, keeping in mind that Nodame wasn't very quick when it came to reading scores.

He led her to his table, where they took their seats.

"Have you started practicing?" he continued.

Nodame avoided his gaze and mumbled, "I was only given the scores yesterday."

_Idiot, that's not a decent excuse!_ thought Chiaki furiously.

"Do you need help?" he volunteered.

"Will you, Senpai?" asked Nodame, her fingers clutching onto Chiaki's sleeve so tightly that it seemed like her life depended on it.

"Where are you staying?" Chiaki asked.

"At the Holiday Inn a few blocks away from the University of Vienna," replied Nodame. After pausing, Nodame continued in a faster voice, "You'll never guess who I met there!"

"Really. . . . Who did you run into?"

_The Holiday Inn's not too far from our summer house_, Chiaki thought.

"Senpai, you have to guess!" Nodame insisted.

Chiaki hesitated before saying in a soft voice, "Itzhak Perlman?"

"_Gyabo_, he's here?!" Nodame shrieked. "What's he doing here?"

_She didn't know?_ he thought. _All this time, I thought all of the soloists knew about the surprise performance._

"Never mind," said Chiaki hurriedly. "Who was it, then?"

"It was. . . Tagaya Saiko!"

_Saiko? What is _she _doing here?_ thought Chiaki.

"She's here on vacation with her fiancé!" Nodame whispered in a feverish tone, answering Chiaki's inner contemplations.

_Saiko's getting married?!_ he thought in shock.

"Who was her fiancé? Do you know him?" Chiaki asked, trying to digest (with difficulty) everything that Nodame was telling him.

"It was that strange person from the Conducting Division back in college! The one who wanted to replace you as the conductor of Rising Star!"

_Okochi Mamoru?! You've got to be joking._

"Nodame was pretty shocked," said Nodame with a half-amused half-disgusted sort of look. "I don't think they match at all."

_I _know_ they don't match at all_, thought Chiaki. _What was she thinking? Going for an idiot like Okochi?_

"Well, if Tagaya Saiko's really in love with him," said Nodame, "then it will be happily ever after for them!" She looked up at the afternoon sky and sighed dreamily.

_It isn't always like that_, thought Chiaki. _Anyway. . ._

"Nodame, my family's summer house is just around the corner from your hotel," Chiaki said, changing the topic. "I'll come round to the hotel tomorrow morning. Do you have any problem with that?"

"Oh, great! Come at 12 in the afternoon."

"Huh?"

"Nodame wants her beauty sleep," Nodame muttered sheepishly.

_Beauty sleep?! As if that will do anything to you!_ Chiaki said in his mind.

"Senpai, I almost forgot!" exclaimed Nodame as she fished for something in her deep pocket. In a moment, she pulled out a dirty-looking piece of cloth, which was crumpled and appeared as though it was originally white in color. She placed it in Chiaki's hand and made a wide smile.

"What is it?" asked Chiaki, completely dumbfounded.

"It's a handkerchief," Nodame explained. "It was the one you let me borrow the other time when I watched you conduct the Hungarian Dances."

_Why doesn't it _look _like my handkerchief?_ Chiaki asked himself, examining the ruddy piece of fabric.

"I'm sorry Nodame forgot to wash it," muttered Nodame shyly.

Chiaki gazed at the handkerchief for a few moments then threw it onto the table, shivering in disgust.

_She's still the same old _hentai. _That kiss didn't even affect her at all. What did I get all worked up about?_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I apologize if the Vienna bit is progressing rather slowly. There are so many things I want to reveal in this part of the story that the development of events is taking the backseat and giving way to what the characters have to say. So much dialogue and so little action! I have to work on improving this! ;-)

I'd like to eat some _sachertorte_ myself.

I'm sorry I'm talking too much, but I always do so anyway.

I would love to hear your comments.


	12. Lesson 12

**LESSON TWELVE**

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" asked Chiaki. He and Kiyora were sitting on the steps leading to the Karlskirche, a large white Neo-Classical building with many elaborate carvings on the walls and huge pillars reminiscent of ancient Roman structures. The otherwise plain white façade of the Karlskirche was colored by its light greenish-blue roof. The building was an old church dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo, the founder of several schools of religion.

Kiyora looked up at the ceiling of the church's entrance and observed the complicated patterns on it before answering, "I've been meaning to have a word with you about something personal. I hope I'm not meddling too much with your affairs."

"What is it?" asked Chiaki in a rather impatient tone.

"We, Ryu and I, and even Masumi-chan and all the others," Kiyora said, "have been waiting for answers to some unanswered questions over the past few years. Most of them concern you, Chiaki-kun."

Chiaki looked intently at her, waiting for her to say more.

"What happened between you and Nodame?" asked Kiyora pointedly.

_I knew this was how the conversation would end up_, thought Chiaki, immediately regretting that he had agreed to meet up with Kiyora more than two months previously.

"It's really none of your concern," he answered almost coldly. "Nor is it anybody else's concern but mine."

"And Nodame's," Kiyora added with a hint of a smile.

Her companion made no answer.

"Chiaki-kun, it's not everyday you meet somebody with a listening ear who's willing to hear what you have to say," said Kiyora in an effort to convince Chiaki to open up.

In a resigned voice, Chiaki said, "It's Rachmaninoff's fault."

"Eh?" said Kiyora, looking puzzled. "Rachmaninoff?"

"The Russian composer," continued Chiaki. "Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff. Composed Piano Concerto No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 3, as well as 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,' the Prelude in C# Minor, and the opera _Aleko_. You might have heard of him," he added with a touch of irony.

"What has Rachmaninoff got to do with it?"

"He was the reason why we broke up."

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Nodame whimpered and hung her head. She grabbed large tufts of her hair and disheveled her already messy mop in vexation.

"_Why can't Nodame become friends with Liszt?_" she moaned.

Though she was unaware of it, tears were gradually trickling down her face. When she finally noticed that her cheeks were glistening with tears, she gasped.

"_Gyabo_, Liszt is giving Nodame a very hard time," she said, wiping her tear-stained face with her tired hands.

Seeing her fingertips, which were very red and numb, Nodame sighed. She stared at the piano keys in front of her and at the opened score sheet resting on its stand. There were already many markings and notes scribbled onto the score's many pages and most of the papers' edges were crumpled, as though Nodame had flipped through them in a hurry.

For the past four hours, without any break, Nodame had been practicing Franz Liszt's Transcendental Étude No. 11, the second to the last piece in the collection. It was one of the longest of all the transcendental studies created by the Hungarian piano virtuoso and also one of the slower selections. Also known as "Evening Harmonies", No. 11's sound reminded the listener of a nocturne, although its structure and style were in no way similar to a nocturne's. It was also one of the most emotionally expressive of all the transcendental studies of Liszt. Apart from the piece's demand for expressive ability, it required high mastery of technique and extremely agile fingers capable of playing massive chromatic chords.

"I ordered room service for you."

Nodame jumped from the piano seat and looked behind her. She saw that Elize was sitting on the cozy chaise longue near the door.

"You're here!" Nodame exclaimed. "Have you been watching Nodame this entire time?"

"Only for the past forty-five minutes," said Elize. "It wasn't bad, you know. It just needs a bit of polishing up."

Surprised at her manager's rare show of encouragement, Nodame made a weak smile.

"I thought Chiaki was supposed to help you on your recital pieces," Elize continued.

"He did," replied Nodame. "We spent the entire morning working on the Goldberg Variations but he had to leave to meet with somebody this afternoon."

"He decided to leave just when you started working on something more difficult than Bach?" asked Elize incredulously. "Doesn't that idiot know you're going to play a Transcendental Étude?"

Nodame shrugged.

"The reason it was called 'Transcendental' in the first place," Elize explained, "was because it was the type of music which was superior to all the others. It was better, more beautiful, and much more difficult to play. To be transcendent means to go beyond what you already know. That's how challenging it is to perform."

"Eh? Is that so. . ." murmured Nodame. "Senpai must be so transcendent that he doesn't think he needs to teach me."

"You really aren't making any sense," Elize said with a frown on her face.

"Ah, that isn't such a transcendental thing to me," said Nodame, giggling.

"Now _that_ sounds about right," Elize answered, making an effort to smile.

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Hearing the lock on their apartment door click open, Mine stood up from his reclining position on the bed. He had been polishing his violin bow with a new rosin Kiyora had bought for him until he saw his wife arrive. He saw that there was a look of uncertainty on her face, which he could not understand.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Kiyora sat down on the edge of the bed and said very softly, "I'm sorry, Ryu."

"Why?" Mine demanded. "What happened? Did you get to talk with Chiaki?"

"I couldn't get anything out of him."

Mine, who sat down next to his wife, tried to hide the sadness that was creeping into the spirit of his eyes.

"I tried everything I could," Kiyora continued in a disillusioned tone. "I tried to bribe him and distract him. I tried to make him 'accidentally' say something, but none of it worked. He's determined to keep everything private. I'm sorry, Ryu. Everything we've been planning for the past months has just ended in a disaster."

"Don't say that," said Mine as he put his arm around Kiyora's shoulders. "I know you did your best. It doesn't matter if you weren't successful this time. We'll try even harder next time!"

Kiyora smiled at her husband, amazed at his optimism.

"Besides," Mine added in a whisper, "you're my _red ruby_." With that last statement, he winked.

His wife hit him hard in the ribs.

"You idiot!" she said, though she was grinning.

Mine laughed and got up from the bed again, saying, "I'll go wake up Seika from her nap. I'll be right back."

Kiyora watched her husband disappear into the adjoining bedroom and sighed heavily.

_I really _am _sorry, Ryu_, she thought. _I'm sorry for lying to you_.

For, in fact, the truth of the matter was Kiyora _did_ get something out of her conversation with Chiaki. Actually, she was able to get _a lot_ of information and she knew that Chiaki had never told those things to anybody in the world except her. Kiyora felt honored that Chiaki had that sort of trust in her and as a sign of gratitude, she decided to keep everything he had shared to her in confidence. Kiyora swore to herself that she would never tell anybody else (and not even Mine) what went on during their conversation and neither would she ever bring up the subject again with Chiaki. She understood that she had already caused the reawakening of the pain Chiaki had been hiding in his innermost being for many years because of her intrusion into his private life. She knew it was only right to save Chiaki from even more agony by pretending that their conversation never happened.

Kiyora's sad eyes stared out the apartment window and focused on the busy cobblestone street below. She was momentarily distracted by the flower and fruit vendors selling their goods at makeshift stalls outside the apartment building, until she heard a familiar voice.

"Mom, you're back!"

Kiyora smiled at her young daughter and held out her arms, waiting for Seika's warm hug.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I'm turning melodramatic again!

You're probably wondering what went on during Chiaki and Kiyora's conversation outside the church, but I'm afraid you have to wait a bit longer. I'll try my best not to give any spoilers!

If some of you are wondering, Mine and his family live in Japan since I decided Seika should study there. It's only during the summer holidays that they go to Vienna, where they have an apartment. Kiyora also lives in that apartment when she has work there.

Hopefully I'm doing a successful job of keeping my mouth shut, but I'm saying sorry anyway. ;-)

All comments are highly appreciated.


	13. Lesson 13

**LESSON THIRTEEN**

_"But why, Chiaki-kun?" Kiyora asked. "Why Rachmaninoff?"_

_"You probably remember that I performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the A-Orchestra back when we were still students," began Chiaki._

_Kiyora nodded._

_"Apparently, Nodame had been inspired by the performance," said Chiaki, "so she spent more than a week slaving over the piece. She practiced it day in and day out without eating or sleeping or even taking a bath. After a while, she told me she wanted to do that concerto with an orchestra so I asked her to play it with me."_

_He suddenly paused, then continued, "It was a horrible rendition from the start. It was too loud and too fast and too unpredictable. It seemed like she was just playing it out of impulse. Our sound was terrible. But I knew I could synchronize with her. I had often been told that I was the only person capable of keeping up with her careless playing back then, so I was confident that I could do it. Eventually, we harmonized. When we finished the entire piece, I felt like I had jumped over a difficult obstacle. I knew right then that we had produced beautiful music."_

_"You weren't the only one who realized that," said Kiyora, smirking._

_"No, I wasn't," Chiaki replied. "It turned out that _Harisen_ teacher Etoh-sensei was impressed by her performance, so he got her as his pupil and trained her for the Maradona Competition. That was the beginning of many things."_

_"So Rachmaninoff started everything," Kiyora said pensively. "That explains why you're both so attached to him."_

_"Eh?"_

_"You really don't think your fondness for Rachmaninoff is a secret, do you?" asked Kiyora with an amused expression. "You _always_ perform his concertos together. I don't think there's any composer more associated with the Golden Pair than Rachmaninoff."_

_"Does the audience find that acceptable?" Chiaki asked with uncertainty._

"'_Acceptable?'" retorted Kiyora. "I don't think there's anything _un_acceptable about it. But it's interesting. So there really is a reason why Rachmaninoff's frequently in your programme. . . . He brought you and Nodame together."_

He did? _thought Chiaki._

"_No, I think that was Mozart," he said in a joking manner._

"_Ah, tell me about that," said Kiyora, leaning a bit closer to Chiaki to show her interest in the matter._

"_Mozart's a different story," Chiaki said plainly. "I was talking about Rachmaninoff."_

_Kiyora couldn't hide her surprised face fast enough._

"_I'll tell you about Mozart next time," said Chiaki almost casually. _If there _is_ a next time_, he added in his mind._

_Chiaki's companion nodded at him in anticipation._

"_It's hard to say that Rachmaninoff hasn't been a big influence on our careers and our lives," he continued. "I can't understand it myself but there's something about him that draws us both to his music."_

"_His music has a way of swallowing you up and thrusting you into a completely different world," said Kiyora. "That's what I think."_

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Chiaki leaned back on the cold marble steps of the Karlskirche and heaved an exhausted sigh, remembering what he had been talking with Kiyora about just a few minutes before. Their long conversation had just been ended by Kiyora's sudden announcement that she had to return home right away. Chiaki had watched her briskly make her way down the steps and disappear from his sight as she turned a street corner. As he lost his view of Kiyora, he felt as though something very precious inside of him had just been jerked out without his permission.

During the previous two and a half hours or so, he had related to Kiyora the painful secrets he had kept within the confines of his heart for eight long years. He had narrated every single detail of his inner turmoil which was slowly burning him up inside and threatening to turn his whole being into ashes. It agonized him to tell (let alone recollect in his mind) of the guilt he had felt and the torture he had gone through because of his own reckless decision to drive away something he had wanted to cherish forever.

Chiaki had been prepared to keep that anguish to himself for as long as he lived and he was more than happy never to be forced by somebody to let it out. However, something in the way Kiyora spoke to him during their conversation made him suddenly bare his soul to her. He was surprised that he had voluntarily been honest to her without even giving it much thought. He knew that _she_ wasn't his closest acquaintance. He knew Kiyora's husband longer than her and he was well aware that his friendship with Mine was stronger and much more closely bonded. There were also his mentors Stresemann and Vieira with whom he had already shared some of his woes in the past. He couldn't very well forget his mother either for she understood him better than anybody else in the world. Of course, his most intimate acquaintance was still Nodame. However, to all these people (and especially to the last one), he had never been truly honest about himself. He had kept to himself what he had wanted to say and what he had wanted to do. He had not lost his control over himself and he was successful in remaining silent, in pretending that nothing was wrong. Chiaki couldn't understand what was so different about Kiyora, though. Why was he sincere to _her_?

_Maybe it was because I just_ had_ to let everything out sooner or later_, he thought. However, he changed his mind on that last thought.

_But I could have kept it all to myself_, he reasoned. _I'm not the type of person who loses control just because I have no one to turn to, no shoulder to cry on._

Chiaki understood that he _did_ have people to turn to (and shoulders to cry on at that). He knew many people who were willing to listen to him and were eager to give him help and even perhaps relief. But he also understood that the problem was not that he didn't have anybody. He knew that the problem was _himself_.

_I know I'm an arrogant fool_, he thought, burying his face in his hands. _I've figured that out for myself._

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"First floor, please," said Elize as she got into the elevator.

The bellboy lifted his cap and pressed the 1 button as the elevator doors closed.

"You're the German woman staying at the penthouse, aren't you?" asked the bellboy with a grin.

"Why do you ask?" Elize snapped in an icy voice.

The bellboy flinched and turned his head away, remaining silent for the rest of the trip down the elevator.

When the doors opened on the first floor, Elize beheld a handsome but tired-looking Japanese man who was about to enter the elevator.

"The penthouse, please," the man told the bellboy.

"Chiaki!" Elize exclaimed.

The man looked at her with a surprised expression but said nothing.

"Have you come to see her?" asked Elize.

"I'm here to continue where we left off this morning," Chiaki answered in a tone that showed he was not in the mood to have a long talk at the moment, least of all with the manager he had left. Though Chiaki's anger toward her had somehow died down over time, he still bore a slight grudge against Elize for nearly killing him with work overload.

Oblivious to the signals Chiaki was giving her, Elize continued, "And where exactly did you leave off?"

"The Goldberg Variations," was the simple reply.

"But when I left her a moment ago," said Elize with a suggestion of anger in her voice, "it seemed that she was already practicing Liszt."

"Then she must have moved on to the Transcendental Étude without me," Chiaki said stoically.

_What is it with this man?!_ thought Elize heatedly.

"Excuse me," began the bellboy in a wary tone. "Don't you want to get off now, Ma'am? It's already the first floor."

"I've changed my mind," Elize said immediately. "Go back up to the penthouse."

The bellboy made a frightened sort of nod and pressed the 7 button.

Elize continued with suppressed rage, "Where were you, Chiaki?"

"I had to see a friend," replied Chiaki in the same impassive voice.

"So that friend was more important than her?" Elize went on.

_Would you stop rubbing it in?_ Chiaki thought furiously. _I get it already._

"When will you realize what your priorities are, Chiaki?" hissed Elize.

Chiaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control his temper.

_One more word from you, woman. . ._

But Elize couldn't seem to stop talking.

"I care about my clients and that's why I want them to work hard," she said, fuming. "Do you think that I'm always the one who's supposed to be working my head off to prepare your schedules and book your activities? I know you left my agency because you thought I was killing you with so much work – "

"Weren't you?" Chiaki whispered bitterly.

"If I hadn't, do you think you'd be the famous Shinichi Chiaki?" she snapped. "Do you think you'd be the great conductor that you are right now if it wasn't for me?"

_Where is all this anger coming from?_ Chiaki asked himself, amazed at Elize's livid behavior. _Does she hate me because I left her?_

"I would undoubtedly be dead by now, that's for sure," said Chiaki rather offhandedly.

For the first time during their entire exchange, Elize could not find any words to say. She merely stared into Chiaki's eyes.

"From what I've heard from Nodame," continued Chiaki, "you're treating her the same way you treated me."

Elize regained her voice and instantly retorted, "People who have big dreams but don't have enough initiative to reach those dreams need people like me with too much initiative to push them to reach their dreams. You of all people should understand that."

"'Too much initiative?'" asked Chiaki. "Isn't that what you call 'forcefulness?'"

"Is that what you've really been thinking all this time?" Elize asked in a quieter voice. It seemed as though what she was hearing was causing her a certain amount of pain.

Chiaki's gaze on her softened.

"It may have escaped your notice," said Elize, "but I _do_ love you, Chiaki."

Chiaki started.

_What the hell is this?_ he thought in shock. Inside of him, though, he was beginning to feel a bit lighter and better, as though an awful burden had been taken away from him.

"In order to be a successful manager, a person must learn to love one's clients as though they were one's children," Elize explained. "I've always believed that. . . though I may not always show it."

"Excuse me, we're on the seventh floor now," the bellboy said suddenly, interrupting their dispute. There was a look of dread on his face as though he wanted to get out of the elevator himself.

Chiaki stepped out onto the seventh floor and looked back at Elize. Before the doors closed, Elize caught a glimpse of a grateful smile on Chiaki's lips.

"First floor again, Ma'am?" asked the bellboy fearfully.

"Yes."

The bellboy pressed the 1 button once again and tried to avoid Elize's eyes.

"_What is the matter with you?_" Elize snapped to the bellboy as though nothing at all had happened.

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Chiaki was just about to ring the doorbell of Room 702 when he heard the sound of the piano, the slow and dark _pianissimo_ beginning of Transcendental Étude No. 11. The soft chords reminded him of a lonely street illuminated in the sad moonlit night. Then little by little, the sound grew louder and sweeter, as though two lovers were now strolling hand-in-hand along that street. Louder and louder, the sound of the huge chords echoed as if the passion of the two lovers threatened to consume them both. Chiaki felt his heart beating faster. He couldn't resist it anymore. He could no longer stand outside the room from which those bewitching sounds were coming from. He reached for the doorknob, eager to open it, but –

"_Dammit_," he muttered. "It's locked."

Sighing, he pressed the doorbell and heard the piano stop at once. He caught the sound of scuffling feet before the door burst open. Chiaki saw in front of him a girl whose face was almost completely covered with her unkempt reddish brown hair. Beneath the disheveled tresses, Chiaki could just make out a smile.

"Senpai!" Nodame said loudly. "Come in! I have lots of cake inside!"

"That piece you were playing just now. . ." began Chiaki as he followed Nodame into the lavishly decorated penthouse.

"It's Liszt," Nodame answered before Chiaki could finish what he was saying. "Ah! Here's some _sachertorte_!" she added, handing Chiaki a small saucer of delicious-looking chocolate cake she picked up from the dining table.

Chiaki took the saucer but immediately set it back down on the table.

"Don't you want any cake, Senpai?" asked Nodame with a pout. "Oliver bought it for me at that small café in Graben, the one where I ran into you yesterday! After all those hours of practice, I was starving so Elize had room service bring up the hotel's version of _sachertorte_ but it wasn't even half as delicious as the one at the café so Oliver went all the way over there to get some for me! Try it, it tastes wonderful!" She said all of this incredibly fast.

"Let me hear the étude," Chiaki said firmly, ignoring her.

Nodame moaned.

"Oh, Senpai! I want to take a break!" she whined.

Not tolerating "no" for an answer, Chiaki dragged Nodame to the enormous dark brown Bösendorfer right in the middle of the room and forced her onto the seat.

Nodame stared up at his face for a moment then, with a whimper, she began to play the gentle yet somber start of No. 11. It did not take long for her to forget about the cake she was raving about earlier and within a minute, she had completely absorbed herself in the music.

Chiaki too had been gripped by the sound. He felt himself relax, as though the melody was a warm and comfortable bed that his body was resting on. The song had ended too quickly for him and he found that he was no longer lying on that bed of melodies but standing up behind Nodame.

"How was it?" Nodame asked softly, not lifting her eyes from the keys in front of her.

Instead of answering her question, Chiaki lifted her face closer to his and met her lips with a gentle kiss. This time, Nodame did not struggle or pull away. However, Chiaki noticed, she did not appear to be thrilled at it either.

_Dammit_, thought Chiaki as he pulled away from her. He felt his heart becoming heavy again.

"Did I deserve that kiss?" Nodame asked with childlike wonder.

Chiaki couldn't resist a smile, in spite of his emotions.

"I think you did," he replied, not letting the smile escape his countenance.

"Did I deserve that other kiss too?" continued Nodame.

_She's brought it up_, Chiaki thought worriedly. _I was hoping she'd forgotten about it._

After a moment's hesitation, Chiaki sat next to her on the piano seat.

"That one, I don't think you deserved," he whispered.

"Eh? Why not?"

"You didn't even do anything," Chiaki said in mock argument. "You just watched my performance with the Chicago Symphony. _I_ was the one who deserved that kiss."

"Hmm. . ." Nodame said, pondering. "I guess so."

Neither of them spoke for a while.

"Then why did you kiss me, Senpai?" asked Nodame all of a sudden.

Chiaki, who was taken aback, looked away from her and answered in a slow and careful voice, "Didn't you kiss me back too?"

He heard Nodame mutter something unintelligible and glanced at her to see what was wrong. He saw that her cheeks were a brilliant red color, as though she had come out of a fire.

"I thought we weren't in that kind of relationship anymore," Nodame said. Chiaki heard a hint of sadness in her voice.

_What's wrong with you?_ thought Chiaki. _Why are you so sad about it? Shouldn't you be angry?_

"What kind of relationship did we actually have back then?" he decided to ask.

_Wrong question_, he thought with regret.

"I have no idea myself," replied Nodame. She giggled very quietly.

Chiaki calmed down slightly upon realizing that Nodame was not angered by his question, but he was troubled by her behavior.

_What happened to you?_ he thought. _Why aren't you the Nodame I know?_

"I think we were actually together at one point," Chiaki said, trying to make his sentence sound as normal as possible.

"We're always together, aren't we?" Nodame pointed out.

_I don't think this could get any vaguer_, thought Chiaki. He knew for sure that this new Nodame, who seemed so keen on denying the past, would not answer any of his questions rationally. Not that she _ever_ answered anything sensibly at all.

Deciding to become the honest one among the two of them at that moment, Chiaki said, "I broke up with you about eight years ago. Do you remember?"

Nodame did not answer.

"I told you that time that I didn't want to be involved with you anymore in a romantic sense," continued Chiaki. "I said we should stop dating. Can you recall that?"

Once again, Nodame made no answer.

"I said that you should stop calling me 'husband' or 'fiancé' or 'boyfriend,'" said Chiaki. "I told you not to tell anybody in public that we were 'married' or that we were 'dating.'"

Nodame remained motionless and mute.

"Nodame, are you listening?" Chiaki asked. He felt his voice shaking, but was thankful that Nodame did not seem to notice. He stared at Nodame, but still he received no response.

_Please don't be like this_, he pleaded in his mind.

Chiaki continued to look intently at her face, waiting for her to make even the slightest movement.

Nodame suddenly whispered, "When a man and a woman aren't together, they don't display affection towards each other, right?"

"They could if they wanted to," replied Chiaki, surprised.

"But their actions are limited," said Nodame. Her voice seemed hoarse.

"Yes, I guess so."

Chiaki stared at her, perplexed. He didn't know what to say.

"Why did you kiss Nodame, then?" asked Nodame with subdued anger.

Now that she was showing the resentment he had wanted to see, Chiaki dreaded what he felt was coming next.

"I thought you said we were always together anyway?" he said, hoping to confuse her.

Nodame remained silent, but looked back into Chiaki's eyes. Chiaki saw pitiful sadness in hers as tears started forming in them.

She swiftly stood up and appeared to be walking off to reach the plate of cake Chiaki had placed on the table. Chiaki turned around to look at her but instead of seeing what Nodame was doing, he beheld total darkness and felt a strangely sticky sort of pain on his face. Reaching up to feel his face, Chiaki was surprised that his fingers touched something that felt spongy, something that felt like. . . cake.

Nodame gazed at him with a triumphant but malicious expression as the tears started flowing profusely out her eyes. She had thrown the plate of _sachertorte _straight at his face.

"_That's for breaking up with me, you idiot!_" she screeched.

_So this is how you want things to turn out, do you?_ thought Chiaki furiously, wiping off the chocolate icing and the apricot jelly from his eyes. He stood up from the piano and ran over to where Nodame was standing beside the dining table, where the remainder of the cake was sitting on a large tray.

Nodame steeled herself, waiting for Chiaki to make his move. However, Chiaki was too quick for her. He grabbed her by the arm and lifted her off her feet, hurling her onto the table, where her face fell flat on the cake.

"_That's for letting me break up with you_," he said in an alarmingly thunderous voice.

Nodame got up on the table and threw herself at Chiaki, wrapping her strong fingers around his neck and attempting to strangle him to death.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ thought Chiaki, remembering that this was exactly the same technique Nodame had used all those years ago when they were fighting on that bridge in Paris on that bitingly cold Christmas night. _She's really going to murder me now._

Against his expectations, Nodame suddenly fell on her knees on the carpeted floor. He stared at her as she buried her face in the carpet. Within a minute, he heard her sobbing.

Though Chiaki remained vigilant, prepared for Nodame to strike again, he felt that it was now safe for him to get closer to her. He knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He felt Nodame repeatedly hitting him hard on the chest and he tried to resist the pain of her blows but after a few minutes, he couldn't take it any longer and he deftly grasped her hands with one of his and held on to them tightly. Nodame's fatigue due to her day-long practice and the actions she had recently done finally made her succumb and she let herself be completely absorbed in Chiaki's arms. For what seemed like years, Chiaki kept her locked in his firm embrace while Nodame continued sobbing.

After a lengthy silence, Nodame whispered into Chiaki's chest, "What did you say earlier, Senpai?"

"_That's for letting me break up with you."_

Chiaki heard his own words ringing in his ears once the memory of their (very) physical fight came clearly back to his mind. Not wanting to speak anymore, he did not answer and instead tightened his hold on her even more.

"Senpai. . ." said Nodame weakly. "You said, 'That's for letting me break up with you.' Why did you say that?"

"What does it matter why I said it?" asked Chiaki, hiding his face in Nodame's scruffy locks.

"_I want to know_," Nodame said in a voice that sounded like merely a breath.

"Why didn't you run after me?"

"I didn't know you wanted me to," answered Nodame simply, sniffing.

"Why did you let me go just like that? Like I meant nothing to you?" Chiaki continued, feeling the fury rising in his chest. "Did I?" he added in a much softer tone.

"I might ask you the same thing," Nodame said in a feeble attempt to sound cold.

"What?" asked Chiaki exasperatedly.

_She thought she was unimportant to me?_ he asked himself. _Didn't she see that I couldn't survive without her, that I _still_ can't survive without her?_

"Why did you break up with me, Senpai?" asked Nodame pointedly.

_I was afraid she would ask me this_, Chiaki thought.

"Because I. . . . I wanted you to be happy."

"Do you think I'm happy about it?" Nodame asked, looking up at Chiaki with a heartbreaking expression in her eyes.

"I wanted to move further," said Chiaki, trying to grope for the appropriate words. "I wanted to move up – "

"I can't understand what you're saying."

"Nodame," Chiaki said in a nervous sort of voice, "I wanted to marry you."

Nodame stared at him in astonishment.

"You could have just asked," Nodame muttered.

_It's not that easy to do, idiot_, thought Chiaki.

"I couldn't," he said. "I was afraid to."

"You were afraid I'd say 'no?'" asked Nodame.

Chiaki nodded.

"_Idiot_," Nodame whispered.

"Huh?"

"Anybody in their right mind would know that I would say 'yes.'"

Chiaki found it hard to suppress a smile. He felt his heart go warm.

"Senpai. . ."

"What?"

"I just said I'd marry you."

"_You_'re the idiot," Chiaki said, caressing her tear-stained cheeks.

_I haven't even asked you yet_.

Nodame didn't find the need to say anything more. She wrapped her arms around Chiaki's waist and nestled her head against his chest with a contented smile on her lips.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This chapter just beat Chapter Nine as my longest chapter ever! Was it too long?

I must acknowledge Ninomiya Tomoko from whom I got the idea of the brawl scene. I hope I described the action sequences all right. I know I'm not good at describing movements and other things which involve the body. But I knew I just had to include that fight since Nodame and Chiaki's relationship in the manga/ anime/ drama definitely involves a lot of physical abuse. Is this a good thing?

Bösendorfer is an Austrian brand of pianos. I wanted to associate the piano brand with the particular country in which the story is set at the moment, so I chose Bösendorfer! And I heard from Liliumscribe that Bösendorfer pianos suit Nodame's playing style better. ;-)

Sorry I've been talking too much.

All your comments are welcome!


	14. Lesson 14

**LESSON FOURTEEN**

"Senpai, please stay with Nodame tonight," Nodame said as she finished playing the last few measures of Transcendental Étude No. 11.

"Why?" asked Chiaki with an annoyed tone, though he seemed pleased. "Haven't you had enough of me for today?"

Chiaki took his bag, which was lying on the chaise longue, and made his way for the door.

Nodame immediately got up from the piano seat and ran toward him. She flung her arms around his waist and held on tightly.

"_Please don't leave!_" pleaded Nodame, showing him that she wasn't going to let go.

"You idiot," Chiaki whispered. After pausing for a moment, he said in an indifferent tone, "Fine, I'll stay with you." He got himself out of Nodame's hold and threw his bag onto the chaise longue again.

"_Mukya!_" shrieked Nodame. "What do you want to do tonight, Senpai? Nodame has a nice big fluffy bed, you know. . ."

"_Hentai_!" Chiaki said, immediately raising his fist as though he wanted to hit her, though he really had no intention to. "I'm going to advise you on your practice!"

Nodame closed her eyes in an exaggerated sorrowful manner and pursed her lips.

"And I thought you were just beginning to be fun again. . ." she murmured as she went back over to the piano.

_What does she mean by that?_ thought Chiaki in wonder. _Am I really no fun? Does she think I'm boring?_ Inwardly, Chiaki was starting to worry.

"Right, so I'll start with the First Movement of _Pathétique_, then?" asked Nodame as she searched for the score sheet of Beethoven's piano sonata. When she found it, she set it atop the stand and opened it to the very first page.

Chiaki leaned over her and flipped the score to a different page. Nodame gasped when she saw the words _adagio cantabile_ written in italics on the top left-hand corner of the page.

"Senpai. . ." she began, though she was at a loss for words.

"What?" asked Chiaki coolly, pretending he hadn't noticed anything. Truthfully, though, he knew why she was so surprised.

_Adagio cantabile_ was the second movement of Beethoven's _Pathétique_ sonata and the most famous portion of the piece. Chiaki was aware that that particular movement in that particular sonata meant just as much to Nodame as Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. It was, after all, the piece that she had been playing when they first met. Chiaki could remember that morning like it happened just yesterday. He recalled how Nodame had played that piece as though it were being sung beautifully amidst the piles of garbage in her apartment. He remembered that being there and hearing her amazing sound in such a dreadful place like that seemed almost ethereal to him.

"What are you waiting for?" he demanded as Nodame continued to stare at him. "_Play_."

Nodame jumped in her seat and set her hands on the piano keys, taking a deep breath. She hit the first keys softly and slowly, so tenderly in fact that it seemed as if she was caressing a baby's head. As the song progressed, she started playing louder and less delicately. Chiaki knew he heard several added trills at the end of long passages, which he knew weren't part of the score at all. It did not take him long to notice that the rhythm was beginning to shift into some unpredictable tempo which he had not heard in her playing earlier.

_She's going back to her careless playing again_, he thought. _Everything was all right when she played Liszt and Bach today, but when it came to Beethoven. . . . Just because this piece reminds her of her fanciful playing style back in college, does she think she can get away with playing it sloppily?_

Seeming like she was enjoying herself immensely, Nodame continued with the piece, occasionally skipping chords which she didn't feel like playing and adding little details to the notes which she thought would make the sonata sound better. Chiaki tried to fight off the urge to hit her on the head.

_This isn't Ludwig van Beethoven_, he thought in frustration. _It's Megumi Noda!_

When he observed that she skipped six long measures right in the middle of the piece, Chiaki seized the score sheet and threw it on the floor.

"_Iyaan!_" Nodame shrieked, immediately lifting her hands from the keyboard.

"What was that '_iyaan_' for?!" asked Chiaki angrily. "And why did you skip all those measures?! And what's with all that ta-ta-ta-ta and those trills on the 26th mark?!"

"Nodame was playing correctly," she murmured, averting her eyes.

"You weren't even looking at the score, idiot!" Chiaki continued. "Beethoven would have turned in his grave if he heard your playing!"

Nodame looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

_I shouldn't have been that hard on her_, Chiaki thought, feeling sorry for shouting at her.

He picked up the score and flattened out the crumples he had made, then set it back on the stand.

Chiaki continued in a gentler tone, "Play it again. This time, play it properly."

Nodame nodded grimly and started from the top of the Second Movement.

After nearly two hours, they finally got through the entire sonata without Nodame taking things out and adding things in. By that time, she had made only a few trivial mistakes.

She heaved a sigh of relief and looked up at Chiaki with a broad grin on her face.

"It was very good, wasn't it?" she said in a childishly pretentious voice.

"What are you talking about?" said Chiaki, rolling his eyes. "It was sloppy halfway through. It needs more work."

"Eh?" Nodame said in disbelief. "You're such a perfectionist. That's why nothing's good enough for you. _I'm_ never good enough for you," she added in a murmur.

Her words produced a sharp pang in Chiaki's heart as though somebody had run a knife right through it. He felt his heart and his spirit breaking all over again, as though their reconciliation just a few hours previously had never happened.

_You were always enough for me_, he thought, wishing Nodame could hear his thoughts. _You didn't need to do anything. That perverted, eccentric, and unpredictable Noda Megumi. . . . That was all I wanted you to be._

"Well, aren't you a professional musician?" he asked, fighting off the emotions welling up inside of him. "A piece like _Pathétique_ should already be easy for you compared to all the other things you've performed in the past. You didn't seem to have any problems with Liszt earlier and that's almost a hundred times more difficult that this. Being a professional means that you're expected to have already achieved a very high level in your music. You don't even need me to help you anymore."

_All I'm doing right now is encouraging her to feel further unwanted_, he told himself bitterly.

"I _do_ need you, Senpai," whispered Nodame. Chiaki saw the pout emerging on her lips.

_I guess I should call it a day_, thought Chiaki, sighing.

"That's enough for today," he said in a final tone. "You're probably exhausted." _So am I_, he added in his mind.

"Ah! Then let's have dinner at the restaurant downstairs, Senpai!" said Nodame, suddenly becoming cheerful again. "And after that, we can finally rest on Nodame's nice big fluffy bed. _Gyahan!_" she added ecstatically.

"Idiot," Chiaki retorted quite harshly. "You have to focus on your recital. You haven't even started on Chopin yet and that other one you were talking about. . . . What was that last piece again?"

"Never mind, Senpai," said Nodame hurriedly. "I need to relax now. Remember. . . _all work and no play makes Nodame a dull girl_."

Chiaki rolled his eyes but said nothing more.

Nodame stood up from the piano and slid her hand in the crook of Chiaki's arm. As they went out of the penthouse, Chiaki thought he saw for a split-second an evil _hentai_ sort of gleam in her eyes.

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"That was a wonderful meal, don't you think?" said Nodame as she fell onto the bed. When she saw Chiaki sit down on the chaise longue, she said much too enthusiastically, "Senpai, come here, the bed's much more comfortable!"

_Does she really think I'm falling for her _hentai_ antics?_ thought Chiaki as he leaned back on the chair. He sighed, starting to become incredibly aware of how tired he was. Before he knew it, he began to doze off. He thought he heard Nodame calling him but then he heard nothing at all and he was lost in his sleep.

Chiaki felt as though he had already been sleeping for hours and hours when he woke up again. He realized it was already pitch-black inside the penthouse. He groaned and scratched his head, trying to see properly in the darkness through his bleary vision.

_Dammit, I can't see a thing_, he thought. _Did she finally go to sleep?_

He groped in the darkness, hoping to find a lamp or any light switch he could turn on. At his side, he was able to find something which was shaped like a lampshade. He reached down, feeling for the bottom of the lampshade in the hope of finding a switch he could pull. When he finally found something which felt like a metal cord dangling beneath the lampshade, he pulled at it. Suddenly, his part of the room was illuminated by the faint glow of the lamp.

_I didn't know there was a table right next to the chaise longue_, he thought in wonder. _When I saw it earlier, I remember it was placed right in the middle of the floor. . . . I must have been so exhausted that I didn't notice. Anyway, I'll go back to sleep._

Chiaki pulled the thin cotton blanket up to his chin and tried to put himself in a comfortable position. But suddenly, he froze.

_Why is there a blanket here?_ he asked himself, becoming even more perplexed.

He was now wide awake and his eyes had already become accustomed to the semi-darkness. He looked around and saw that the chaise longue he thought he was lying on was on the other side of the large room. When he observed his closer surroundings, he realized that he was now lying on the nice big fluffy bed Nodame had been talking about. Chiaki immediately sat up on the bed.

_What is this?!_ he thought, instinctively pulling off the blanket and checking to see if his belt was still fastened around his waist. He calmed down upon seeing it still secured on his pants.

"_Ah, you've woken up, Shinichi-kun?_"

Chiaki flinched and looked up. He saw Nodame standing at the doorway leading to the bathroom. She was wearing a skimpy turquoise-colored nightdress made of a thin, almost translucent fabric. Even in the darkness, Chiaki could see the fabric outlining Nodame's slender curves. The sight of her in that dress made him shiver. . . and he himself knew that it wasn't the disgusted kind of shiver. He felt his heart beat faster as Nodame approached him.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she climbed onto the bed. "Don't you like my outfit?"

"I – I don't know. . ." stammered Chiaki. He was relieved that his face was half-hidden in the darkness; he didn't want Nodame to see that his cheeks were glowing bright red with embarrassment. Not wanting to humiliate himself further, he changed the topic.

"Why am I on your bed?" he demanded.

Nodame blushed and mumbled in a guilty voice, "I wanted you to be next to me while I was sleeping."

"Why?" he asked, beginning to become vexed. "I'm not going to leave the room."

Chiaki very badly wanted to return to his beloved chaise longue, which was a good distance away from the bed. Since he saw Nodame emerging out of the bathroom in her nightdress, he had become aware of something very uncomfortable stirring inside of him. He knew that it was the craving he had kept inside of him for the past few weeks and Chiaki understood that if he stayed a moment longer on that bed, he would lose complete control over himself. He knew that he would find a way to satisfy that deep desire and he was afraid of what would happen if he did. He feared that he would hurt her, even break her. He knew that he hungered for her, that he desperately wanted even just a taste of her, and that he wanted her right then and there.

_No, Shinichi, get a hold of yourself_, he thought, struggling to keep his eyes away from Nodame. _You must not lose control. What would happen if you did?_

He heard Nodame whimper softly as she lied down and covered herself with the blanket. Chiaki couldn't help but notice the wide distance between them on the bed. It seemed as though there was a huge ocean of sheets and blankets separating them from each other.

"Senpai, are you still awake?" he heard Nodame whisper.

"Yes."

"Are you afraid of Nodame?" she asked softly.

_You have no idea how much_, thought Chiaki, attempting a glance at her. He saw that her back was turned to him and he was grateful that she couldn't see the distraught expression on his face.

"Nodame won't bite," said Nodame with a giggle.

_Please stop talking_, Chiaki pleaded in his mind. _Don't say anything._

"Why are you afraid, Senpai?" she continued. "I won't do anything to you."

I _might do something to _you, thought Chiaki, trying to control his breathing. He knew it. The restraints he had put all over himself were starting to break.

"Senpai. . ." Nodame said in an almost inaudible voice. "_Are you tempted?_"

_Dammit, you _hentai_!_ he thought, crawling over to Nodame's side of the bed and wrapping his arms around her so tightly that it seemed like he was going to squeeze her to death. He heard Nodame gasp and felt her body tremble next to his. The touch of her skin felt as cold as ice.

"_Shinichi-kun_," Nodame said breathlessly. Even her voice appeared to be shaking.

"Are you cold?" whispered Chiaki in her ear, tightening his embrace.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Nodame, her fingers clutching onto Chiaki's arms with amazing force. There was a certain solemnity in her tone of voice that Chiaki rarely heard from her.

_Is she serious?_ asked Chiaki to himself. Now that he had trapped her in his arms, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to do anything further. He was tired and he wanted his rest and besides that, something inside of him told him that this wasn't the right time for what he was planning. He knew it could wait.

"Don't get any ideas, _hentai_," he snapped, hiding his face in her hair.

_She must have taken a bath_, he thought. _She smells wonderful._

"I can't believe you," Nodame moaned. "You're so mean."

Chiaki smiled to himself and closed his eyes, falling asleep once again.

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Elize heard her phone ringing somewhere close. She opened her eyes and sat up on her bed, taking a glimpse at the clock hanging on the wall. It was only 6:05 in the morning. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and pressed it to her ear.

"Ma'am?" asked the voice on the other end.

"What is it, Oliver?" Elize asked. Had she not been so sleepy, she would have spoken sharply.

"Please come round to Room 702."

"What?"

"Room 702, Ma'am. Please, it's urgent," said Oliver.

"What has Nodame done this time?" continued Elize sluggishly. "Did she get into trouble?"

"It depends," replied Oliver, "whether you think it's trouble or not."

"Fine, meet me outside in five minutes," said Elize before she hung up.

_She better not have broken any plates from room service_, Elize thought as she got up and started rummaging through her suitcase for some decent clothes.

After exactly five minutes, Elize came out of Room 703 and saw her bodyguard cum assistant Oliver standing outside the next door, which was all the way at the other end of the long corridor. She walked over to where Oliver was waiting and nodded at him to open the door to Room 702. The two of them went inside as quietly as they could. Elize immediately spotted a broken china saucer lying on the floor a few inches away from the piano.

"I guess we have to pay for that," said Elize in an uncharacteristically stoic tone.

"And _that_," Oliver said, pointing at the dining table, which was smeared all over with bits of chocolate icing. Near the edge of the table was a tray with a squashed _sachertorte_ on it.

Elize made a resigned sigh.

"But that's not why I asked you to come here," continued Oliver, motioning for Elize to turn around.

Elize slowly turned around to face the bed. What she saw made her fall onto one of the dining chairs in utter surprise. Beneath the shroud of blankets, she clearly beheld two heads of hair. One of them was the reddish brown mess she knew very well and the other was jet black and just a little less scruffy. However, Elize's eyes widened when she realized that the jet black mass of hair seemed rather familiar too.

"He spent the night here?" she whispered while still in a state of shock. "Did they – ?"

"I don't think so," answered Oliver before Elize finished her sentence.

Still rather stunned, Elize said, "Knowing Chiaki. . . he probably wouldn't go that far. But he's still quite an unpredictable idiot."

"What should we do with them?" asked Oliver.

"Nothing," Elize replied simply as she stood up again and headed for the door. Before she turned the doorknob, she turned to face Oliver and said in a serious voice, "There's only one way to find out if they did something last night. If she starts throwing up in three weeks, it means something happened. So keep a watchful eye on Nodame. Is that understood, Oliver?"

"_Jawohl!_"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** You thought something would happen, didn't you? Haha.

Nothing much went on in this chapter, but I'll be sure to add a little variety in the next ones.

By the way, _jawohl_ is a German word most often used by the military which means "yes, sir!"

Can you believe it? I have nothing else to say!

I would love to hear all your comments.


	15. Lesson 15

**LESSON FIFTEEN**

_Does this mean we're back together?_ thought Chiaki as he rose from the bed, awakened by the bright sunlight peering through the curtains.

He glanced at his wristwatch and groaned, realizing that it was already 8:30. He had slept in for more than two hours and he knew that those two hours could have been used for more practical purposes, such as Nodame's practice. However, the moment his thoughts lingered on her piano practice, his mind moved on to contemplate on Nodame herself.

_Everything that happened yesterday. . . . What did it all mean?_

Chiaki remembered how he had kissed her as a reward for her hard work and what they had talked about afterwards. He remembered how she nearly killed him and how she suddenly fell to her knees and wept. He remembered comforting her and for a moment how he had become honest with her about their past and what it had done to affect their present. He also remembered how much it hurt when she hit his chest over and over.

_You idiot_, he thought, glancing at the twisted form lying next to him underneath the blankets.

He put his hand to his chest and twitched upon feeling a light stinging sensation on it. Making sure his companion was still fast asleep, Chiaki slowly unbuttoned his shirt and stared at his front. He saw bruise marks all over his chest.

_You'll pay for this_, he thought menacingly as he buttoned up his shirt again.

"Keep it unbuttoned like that, Senpai."

Chiaki jumped and stared at the person who spoke. He saw that her eyes were wide open with enthusiasm upon catching even a quick glimpse of Chiaki's bare skin. Chiaki hurriedly finished buttoning his shirt and threw the blanket over her face.

Nodame pulled off the blanket at once and giggled.

"Oh, Senpai," she groaned. "I wanted to take a look at your beautiful chest."

"_Hentai_," he said darkly. "Do you think it's beautiful _now_? Look what you did to it – "

"Ah! Let me see!" Nodame exclaimed, her deft hands reaching for the topmost button on his shirt.

Chiaki pushed her hands away and got up from the bed, striding towards the chaise longue, where he had left his bag. He rifled through it and took out his phone. There were 16 unread messages.

_Who would have sent me all these e-mails?_ he wondered, opening his phone's inbox.

He saw that all of them were the exact same message from Mine. Rolling his eyes, he opened one of them, which read:

_Oi, Chiaki. Where the heck are you? Last night, Kiyora called your place but the housekeeper said you hadn't come home yet. Just this morning, the housekeeper left us a message that you didn't come home. Where in the world could you be? We're worried sick about you. Reply ASAP._

"Idiot," he muttered in a nearly inaudible voice.

_What's with all that nonsense about getting worried?_ Chiaki thought. _All of you are worrying about me. You, Kiyora, my own mother. . . . Do none of you think I can take care of myself properly?_

He threw his phone back into his bag without replying to Mine.

"Are you all right, Shinichi-kun?" asked Nodame from the other side of the room.

Chiaki turned around to look at her and saw that she was sitting up on the bed with the covers pulled up to her neck.

"Of course I would be," Chiaki replied. "Why?"

"It's just. . ." Nodame began, averting her eyes. "I saw your bruises just now and. . ." Her voice faltered and she didn't finish her sentence.

_Could she be worrying about me too?_ thought Chiaki, walking over to her. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Nodame, waiting for her to continue speaking.

When she remained silent, Chiaki asked, "What is it you want to say, Nodame?"

"Does it hurt?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

"_I'm so sorry, Senpai!_" she bawled, crawling over to him and flinging her arms around his shoulders. "Nodame shouldn't have hurt you."

_I deserved it anyway_, thought Chiaki reasonably.

"Now you don't have that flawless skin anymore," murmured Nodame.

"Oi, oi, what are you saying?" asked Chiaki, his eyes narrowed at her.

"Senpai, I missed you so much," Nodame said in a wistful manner. Before Chiaki knew it, Nodame had pulled him onto the bed and he was lying right next to her again.

"It's been such a long time since we've been like this," she continued. "I missed this part of our relationship."

"Huh?"

"How do I put this?" she said as though she were talking to herself. "I missed all the affectionate stuff."

"Didn't I always hug you?" asked Chiaki. "Even after we broke up?"

"But those hugs were different," Nodame reasoned. "It felt like you were just hugging me like a normal friend would."

_She really thought I'd given up on her all that time_, thought Chiaki with a hint of regret.

"Now it feels like everything's back to normal. Don't you think so, Senpai?"

"Perhaps," Chiaki answered vaguely.

_Well, your madness has returned, that's certain_, he thought.

They spent a few minutes in complete silence, basking in the sun's rays which were now falling directly on the bed.

"Can I ask one thing?" whispered Nodame, turning her head to face Chiaki.

In answer, Chiaki stared back into her eyes.

"What am I now to you?" Nodame asked. Something in her voice betrayed her nervousness.

_What indeed?_ Chiaki thought.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, am I still your friend?"

"Of course."

"So I'm _just_ a friend?" asked Nodame with discontent written all over her face.

After a pause, Chiaki said, "No, not just a friend."

"Then what am I, Senpai?"

Chiaki could hear the urgency in her tone of voice.

"Do you think we're together, Nodame?" he said, deciding that it was his turn to do the asking.

Nodame looked surprised but did not utter a word.

_Just when I started doing the talking, she doesn't want to answer_, Chiaki thought, feeling as though his heart was a useless flat tire.

"We're always together, aren't we?" Nodame said pensively. She lifted her eyes from Chiaki and stared up at the ceiling.

_You're going to make me pay for this, aren't you?_ thought Chiaki miserably.

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"I'm so glad all of you were able to come here on such short notice," Kiyora announced loudly. She was sitting on the edge of the Volksoper's stage, facing all the soloists who were going to be part of Kyle Dune's birthday performance. The two dozen soloists were seated on the first three rows of the theater.

"It was no problem, we really didn't have much to do," said one of the participating violinists.

"Yeah, Vienna's interesting and all that," said the cellist Kikuchi Toru, "but the women seem so reserved. I mean that in a good way, though," he added with a grin.

His companions chuckled.

"Anyway, I called you all to have a meeting," continued Kiyora, "so we could talk about the order of the programme."

"The septet's the opening act, right, Yasunori?" piped in one of the clarinetists.

Kuroki nodded in a somber manner.

"That'll be a good start," said Kiyora. "It was good that you chose Beethoven's Septet in E-flat, Kuroki-kun," she added, nodding at her old colleague.

"I don't think we could have chosen a better leader for our ensemble than Kuroki-kun," the flautist Aizawa Maiko said with a smile.

All of the other soloists nodded in agreement. However, one of the American pianists asked, "Tell me, what does the word _kun_ mean? Both Kiyora and Maiko used it after Yasunori's name."

Kiyora grinned before explaining, "It's a Japanese honorific usually placed after boys' names. 'Kuroki-kun' was what we used to call him back in college."

"You've known each other since you were students? That's amazing."

"Yes, a lot of us here have known each other for quite some time now," continued Kiyora. "I met Kuroki-kun, Kikuchi-kun, and Maiko when we formed a semi-professional orchestra back then. But Nodame and I went to the same school."

"Now who's Nodame?" a horn player asked.

"Oh, that's Megumi," Kiyora replied.

"She's brilliant, isn't she? I went to the Handover event in Hong Kong last month and I was completely blown away by her Saint-Saëns."

"You're so lucky!" said a saxophonist. "I wanted to see that too."

"Speaking of Megumi, where is she?" asked one of the cellists.

There were a few murmurs, but none of them claimed to know anything about Nodame's current whereabouts.

"Why don't you all talk about the programme amongst yourselves," Kiyora suggested as she slid off the stage. "I'll be right back."

She went over to where her three Japanese friends were and motioned for them to follow her out of the theater. They all did so and once they were in the bright light-filled lobby, Kiyora turned to face them.

"I want you all to know something, but please don't let any of this get out," she began. "What I say here right now stays between us. Do you understand?"

"Kiyora, what's up?" asked Kikuchi casually.

"Yes, you seem quite tense," said Maiko.

"The thing is," said Kiyora slowly and seriously, "Chiaki-kun's gone missing."

"_Chiaki-kun?!_" shrieked Maiko in an unexpectedly excited voice. "He's in Vienna? Has he come to watch the performance?"

"I'm not sure if he was planning to stay here until next Saturday," Kiyora said. "He just arrived two days ago."

"You say he's. . . missing?" asked Kuroki in a calm but careful tone. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday afternoon," replied Kiyora. "I met him right after lunch at the Karlskirche to talk about some things, then I left him there and went back home. Ryu was wondering if Chiaki-kun was all right so we called his house. The housekeeper told us he hadn't come home yet – "

"Maybe he went out for some late-night drinking," Kikuchi suggested. "He's pretty strong when it comes to alcohol, mind you," he added jokingly.

"But his housekeeper called again this morning and told us he didn't come home at all," said Kiyora. "I wonder what happened to him."

"Could it be a kidnapping?" asked Maiko fearfully.

"Of course not," Kiyora assured her. _I hope_, she added to herself.

"Weren't they just saying earlier that Nodame-chan's missing too?" reminded Kikuchi. "Do you think they might be together wherever they are right now?"

"That's right," said Maiko. "They're a couple, aren't they? They must have gone off on a date."

"Do you think any restaurants are open at 12 midnight?" Kiyora asked her peevishly.

Maiko looked slightly abashed.

"Besides," continued Kiyora, "you're wrong about that. They're not dating."

"No, really?" asked Kikuchi, straightening his glasses. "It seemed a lot like it."

"Well, they _were_ dating," Kiyora muttered. "At some point. . . . But they broke up a long time ago."

"Oh, why?" asked Maiko with a look of genuine concern on her face.

Kiyora hesitated before answering, "I have absolutely no idea." She was sure they weren't entirely convinced by her answer.

_I'm a horrible liar_, she thought anxiously.

"Why don't we just leave them alone?" said Kuroki, suddenly speaking up. "They're both adults. They can handle their concerns by themselves. There's no need to worry about how they are. I mean, they're not children anymore, are they?"

"_Hagya!_ I'm so sorry I'm late!" somebody from outside the building shrieked.

All four of them turned around and saw Nodame running into the lobby of the Volksoper and nearly tripping on the thick maroon carpet placed at the entrance. She continued running inside and made an impressive skidding exhibition on the slippery marble floor, managing not to fall as she rushed into the theater.

"See," said Kuroki in a composed tone. "There was no need to worry at all."

"But Chiaki-kun's still missing," Kikuchi pointed out.

Just then, Nodame popped her head out of the theater's large doors and said in a rather shrill and eager sort of voice, "Kiyora-chan, Senpai wants you to know that he's perfectly safe and he's already back at his house!"

Kiyora heaved a sigh of relief.

"He also wants Mine-kun to know this," Nodame continued. "Please tell him that Senpai says he's a big idiot for panicking but he also sends his thanks and says he appreciates your concern. Tell Mine-kun that Senpai says he's glad to have him as his best friend. That's all!"

"He really said that?" asked Kiyora.

"Of course he did!" replied Nodame with a giggle. She flashed a smile at them before going back into the theater.

"Those two are amazing," Kikuchi said. "They're both just full of surprises."

Kiyora smirked while Maiko nodded, showing her wholehearted agreement.

"It's a pity they broke up," added Kikuchi, staring eagerly at Kiyora for some reason.

_Is it so obvious that I know something about Nodame and Chiaki-kun's concerns?_ Kiyora asked herself desperately.

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"Shinichi-sama, don't you want to at least take a bath?" asked the elderly housekeeper. "It might do you good."

"No," Chiaki answered rather curtly.

"What about a bite of _schnitzel_?" the housekeeper continued, looking exasperatedly at her master.

Determined to ignore any of his housekeeper's offers, Chiaki announced, "I'm taking a walk. I don't know when I'll be back." With that, he made his way out of the house.

As Chiaki was walking along the stretch of gravel leading to the front gate, he heard the housekeeper call out, "_Did you even have lunch, Shinichi-sama?_"

"I'm fine!" he shouted back without looking at her. He nodded at the guard sitting in the gatehouse, who opened the gate with a simple press of a button.

As Chiaki went out onto the street, he felt the weight of everything that had happened the day before and early that morning being placed onto his shoulders. He had been confident that if he confronted her, everything would start going back to how it once was. But right then, he wondered if any of his efforts at becoming honest to Nodame were of any use, having realized that she would not give him the easy way out when it came to fixing the broken pipes in their relationship.

_You're an idiot, Shinichi_, he thought in vexation. _Do you think she's still the immature schoolgirl who would come rushing into your arms just because you told her you wanted to marry her?_

Truthfully, Chiaki thought that if he had come to terms with her about their unresolved issues in the past, Nodame would proceed to pretending that the eight years they were apart never occurred.

_I thought wrong obviously_, he thought, ruffling his hair angrily. _She's different now. She's no longer the same girl I left behind._

He found it exceedingly painful to contemplate the fact that Nodame had matured emotionally and learned how to live without him beside her as somebody she could look to for love and security. He was so sure that when he broke up with her, she would run after him and beg him to come back. But she didn't. All Nodame did was remain where she was, digesting (with difficulty she did not let him see) the belief that her beloved Chiaki-senpai no longer wanted her to occupy that space in his heart which was reserved only for one person whom he would cherish for the rest of his life. Little did she know that she was still the lone occupant of that space in Chiaki's well-guarded heart.

_Why did I even break up with her in the first place? If I'd just mustered enough courage to tell her the truth, I would have spared both of us these eight long years of waiting and hoping. I would have spared myself from all this bothersome thinking about what could have happened. If I wasn't such a coward, if I had faced her honestly, just as I faced the music. . ._

Chiaki made a loud cry of agony, which procured without any great effort the stares of passersby. He ignored their frowns and their headshakes and continued walking to an unspecified destination, taking no notice of where his legs were taking him.

_What was I thinking, that I'd make her happy by ending it all? She wasn't happy. I wasn't happy. Sure, she was still by my side but I would have saved both of us all those wasted years, pretending that we no longer felt the same way about each other, if I had just faced her wholeheartedly._

_Why is it so easy to take on music seriously and so hard to take on Nodame? She was my life and my music. She still is. But if she was the music, why couldn't I face her with the same unequivocal and straightforward intentions? Why couldn't I go up to her without any pretences, doubts, and second thoughts? Why was I always holding back?_

He stopped walking and closed his eyes, trying to control the fury he felt inside. He was angry at himself and at how he had delayed and prolonged everything, how he had made Nodame suffer for throwing all sorts of excuses and lies at her.

_Now _she_'s the one making me suffer_, he thought. _But I know I deserve it anyway. I don't care if I have to suffer another eight years just for her sake. . . as long as it makes her happy._

He groaned furiously, trying to resist the desire to hit himself.

_There I go again about making her happy. What do I know of it anyway? Have I ever made her happy? I always treated her harshly and coldly, pretending she was nothing to me except a lost waif I picked up and took care of just because it was my responsibility to do so._

_I thought I knew everything about her, that I was the person who knew her best in the entire world. But if there was one thing I had no idea about, it was how to place a genuine smile on her lips._

_No!_ he contradicted himself. _Of course I've known all along how to make her happy. All I had to do was show her how I truly felt. My real fault was not because I was unaware. It was because I was too much of a weakling to take notice. I chose to ignore my feelings for her and I grabbed every opportunity to take my attention off my growing sentiments. That was my big mistake._

Chiaki sighed and looked up at the sky. It was already nearing sunset and the sky was starting to turn into a dim orange mixed with dark violet hues. When he glanced at the signboard in front of him, he saw the words "Schönbrunn Palace Gardens" written in huge letters.

_Schönbrunn?_ he asked himself in astonishment, realizing that he had already walked at least seven kilometers.

The weariness of his feet was beginning to have its effect on his entire system and at present he felt immensely tired. He dragged himself into the Schönbrunn Gardens, a large park located on the grounds of the palace which was the former home of Vienna's monarchs. Endless numbers of oak trees and maple trees lined the wide paths of the gardens which were filled with nearly dilapidated stone columns and walls made to resemble ancient Roman ruins.

The sight of the ruins and the sound of the oaks and maples rustling quietly in the wind made Chiaki feel incredibly lonely. He tried not to take notice of the hollow pit he had made in his heart.

When he saw a solitary marble bench a little way off from the entrance, he sank onto it with his back lying on the cold and hard stone.

_I'm the worst_, he thought. _Nodame. . . will you ever give me another chance now?_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another long chapter filled will much contemplation and feelings of regret. I hope I didn't bore you.

You might be well aware by now that this fic isn't about to end anytime soon. I'm sorry if it's turning into this _Mahabharata_-type epic. I really had no intention of making it this long. It's just that there are so many things I want to say and so many characters that I want to be included in this story that the plot is getting off track a bit. If you still have the patience to put up with waiting for this odyssey to finally reach its conclusion, I salute you and thank you for your time and effort! You should be rewarded for your endurance. Let me tell you that you're just like Nodame, who waited eight years for Chiaki in this story. But don't fear, I won't make you wait eight years for me to finish this. ;-)

I highly appreciate your comments and if you've made it this far, I am immensely impressed!


	16. Lesson 16

**LESSON SIXTEEN**

"Shinichi-sama! Are you awake?"

Chiaki grunted and buried his face in his pillow, trying to ignore the call of the housekeeper.

"Shinichi-sama!" she called again. After a moment, she said, "I'm coming in, then."

_Go away, you old hag_, thought Chiaki, pulling the blanket completely over his body just as he heard the doorknob turn.

"You have a visitor," the housekeeper announced.

"Who is it?" he asked in a muffled voice.

"It's a man who's about your age," she replied. "He's quite tall and looks very unassuming. He was ever so polite when he met me at the front door."

_Stop being so cryptic and tell me who it is!_ Chiaki said in his mind, finally sitting up on the bed.

"Who is it?" he repeated abruptly, scowling.

"Kuroki Yasunori, sir."

Getting up from the bed and shuffling to get his slippers from underneath it, Chiaki murmured, "You could have saved your voice by just telling me his name."

The housekeeper smiled at him and with a patient air about her asked, "Why does Shinichi-sama seem so keen on _saving_?"

"Huh?"

"Last night, when you got home," she said, "you told me to turn off the lights immediately to save electricity. Then you said you didn't want dinner because you wanted to save the food. Then you refused to take a bath before you went to bed because you said you wanted to save water."

_Did I?_ thought Chiaki, making an effort to remember everything he had done the previous night. In all honesty, he couldn't remember anything at all. He could just recall coming home after his long walk. The rest of his activities seemed to have been part of a long-forgotten past.

"Does Shinichi-sama wish to save someone?" continued the housekeeper curiously.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her with practiced indifference, pulling on one of his bathrobes before heading out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

_I just want to save what little time she and I still have_, he thought. _She's already gone through so much waiting because of me._

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"Good morning, Chiaki-kun," said Kuroki, standing up upon seeing the master of the house descending the stairs. "I'm so sorry to have woken you. I thought you were an early riser."

"It's fine," muttered Chiaki as he tried to fix his disheveled hair with one quick stroke of his hand. It didn't work. "So what brings you here?" he continued.

"Ah, Megumi-chan wanted me to give you this," Kuroki said as he pulled out a small envelope from his bag. He handed the envelope to Chiaki.

Seeing the puzzled expression on Chiaki's face, Kuroki continued, "It's a ticket to her recital tonight. She wanted to get you a front row seat, but apparently the first three rows are reserved for Kyle Dune and his closest friends and family."

Chiaki opened the envelope and took out the small ticket. He saw that his seat was in the fourth row, which wasn't a very bad spot at all.

"She didn't have to go through all that trouble finding me a good seat," he said. _Just hearing her play is enough_, he added to himself.

"Megumi-chan seemed very determined to get you the best seat in the entire theater," Kuroki further explained with a small smile on his lips. "She went to see the theater director in his office last night just to request for a seat in the first row. She argued with him for more than an hour about it."

"That idiot," said Chiaki. "She could have saved all her efforts for her performance instead of fighting with the people at the theater."

Chiaki's eyes widened.

_I _have_ been using the word "save" very often lately, haven't I?_ he thought.

"Are you all right, Chiaki-kun?" asked Kuroki, seeing Chiaki's look of surprise.

"What?"

_Why is that word so important to me now?_ he asked himself.

Thinking that Chiaki was probably still quite sleepy, Kuroki said, "I should be going now. Why don't you rest some more, Chiaki-kun? You look like you need it."

Chiaki merely nodded.

"By the way," Kuroki said before turning to leave, "Megumi-chan told me to ask you if your chest was fine. . . . I didn't understand what she meant, though."

Chiaki had to smile. After a moment's silence, he replied, "Tell her it needs intensive treatment."

_I forgot about my injuries_, he thought. _I better go to the drugstore around the corner to buy some ointment._

"Forgive me if I'm intruding, but what exactly happened to your chest?" inquired Kuroki, using careful words.

"Nothing, she was just being reckless the other day and she accidentally punched me," Chiaki lied in a nonchalant tone. "She's never been very careful."

"I hope you're okay," said Kuroki with worry written all over his face.

"Don't worry about me, Kuroki," Chiaki assured him.

Kuroki nodded and went out the door.

"Hold on!" called Chiaki to his friend, who was already halfway down the gravel path.

Kuroki turned around and looked at Chiaki, waiting for him to speak.

"Tanya. . ." Chiaki began awkwardly. "I saw her in Paris just recently. She said she was sorry she couldn't watch your performance. And she. . . told me she sends. . . her love," he finished lamely.

Even at a far distance, Chiaki saw a brightness in Kuroki's eyes which he did not see before he mentioned Tanya. Kuroki bowed at him and walked out the gate with what Chiaki imagined to be something like a spring in his step.

_Was that Kuroki just now?_ thought Chiaki in amazement.

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Chiaki found his way to his fourth row seat at the Volksoper just as the theater's lights began to dim and the wave of murmurs and whispers in the audience slowly died down to an absolute silence. After having hardly anything for lunch that day, he went back up to his bedroom where he dozed off again until one of the maids woke him up late in the afternoon to ask him if he was still planning on attending Nodame's recital. Realizing that he would be late if he didn't hurry, Chiaki took a quick nibble of dinner before rushing to the opera house. As Chiaki sat down, he heaved a sigh of relief.

_I made it just in time_, he thought. _If I was late, maybe she wouldn't forgive me. I was already absent during her performance in Hong Kong so I can't afford to not come again. And she _did _put in so much effort just to get me a good seat._

Chiaki felt a strange warm sensation overcome his body.

Just then, the stage lights turned on and shone brightly on the stately black Steinway placed in the middle of the stage. In a moment, the pianist came out, meeting the deafening applause of the audience. She was wearing a pale lilac chiffon gown that seemed appropriate for dancing the waltz. The color of the fabric seemed to make her skin emanate a faint glow, giving her the appearance of a dazzling otherworldly creature. The only thing that gave her away as a real person was her ruddy hair, which looked as though she hadn't bothered to comb it. She strolled towards the piano and very slowly sat down on the leather-covered seat.

Suddenly, a horrifying thought struck Chiaki.

_Was she able to practice those Chopin pieces?_ he thought, panicking slightly. _And that other piece – whatever it was, did she find the time to go through it?_

He cursed himself, regretting that he had gone home right after they had breakfast the previous day and completely forgetting that Nodame still had a lot of things to work on.

_I could have helped her. Why did I have to forget?_

His repentant thoughts were cast aside at once when the pianist put her hands to the piano and started playing. It was a piece Chiaki had not heard her play while he was advising her during her practice.

Chiaki started, recognizing what she was playing.

_Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp Minor. As expected. . . . Rachmaninoff._

He smiled broadly in the darkness, gazing intently at Nodame as the stage lights illuminated her already radiant form. He watched her fingers gracefully slide up and down the keys and reach the gigantic chords and distant arpeggios almost effortlessly. She was weaving her magic on the piano and it entranced her audience, but Chiaki couldn't help but notice that her performance seemed too controlled, even restrained. He felt like he was listening to somebody he didn't know, a pianist who was much too particular about techniques or otherwise much too concerned about how the audience would react. It was like she wasn't the Megumi Noda the world (particularly a certain person seated in the fourth row) had fallen in love with.

_What's wrong with you?_ asked Chiaki in his mind, his heart throbbing in pain.

There was a thunderous round of applause when Nodame finished her first piece. Chiaki began to wonder whether he was the only person who noticed the difference in her playing or not.

_Perhaps I'm just imagining things_, he thought. _Maybe I'm too worried about her._

He sighed and told himself, _Shinichi, calm down. You're being an idiot. What does it matter if her style changes a bit? Nobody else in the world cares._

_But _I_'m the one who knows her best_, he argued. _And _I _care._

Nodame then began the second piece in her repertoire: Chopin's Mazurka No. 2 in A Minor. Again, Chiaki noticed her restrained playing. This time, he believed it was more evident than when she played the Rachmaninoff.

_A mazurka is a dance which originated in Poland_, said Chiaki to himself while he was in deep thought. _It is often lively, but this mazurka of Chopin's is rather melancholic and languid. Even so, this sort of music allows a certain amount of freedom and improvisation. . . . Why does she sound like she's so determined to follow every single note accurately according to the score, then? Doesn't she know these things about the mazurka?_

Chiaki was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat uneasily.

When Nodame finished, the audience applauded loudly again, as though not a single person seated there had noticed anything strange about how she performed.

_Is it really just _me_?!_ Chiaki thought incredulously.

The recital went on and every time Nodame finished playing a piece, Chiaki's heart felt like it was becoming heavier and heavier.

_Don't do this to me, Nodame._

After Nodame's rendition of some of the famous nocturnes by Chopin, a 20-minute intermission was announced.

Chiaki remained in his seat as nearly all the people around him began rising from theirs and making their way out of the theater, chatting excitedly about Nodame's performance thus far. From what Chiaki could make out of their hushed conversations, all of them seemed to love how she was interpreting the pieces. _He_ was the only person there who didn't seem to be enjoying the recital.

_Is this my fault?_ he thought miserably. _Did I do something to you to make you change how you play? Do you know how much pain you're causing me? I've always loved the way you play and I can't imagine never hearing it. Don't you want me in your life anymore? Is this your means of driving me away? I thought everything would be back to the way it was after all that we did and talked about the other night. Why has it come down to this?_

"Chiaki-kun! I'm so glad I found you."

Chiaki did not look up to see who had rudely interrupted his depressing reverie and kept his eyes looking down at his shoes. He understood that he wasn't in the proper disposition to talk to anybody at the moment, knowing full well that whoever it was that wanted to catch his attention would most likely talk about Nodame's performance.

_Leave me alone_, he thought heatedly.

"Didn't you hear me, Chiaki-kun? I'm afraid it's pretty noisy in here."

_Dammit_.

Finally, Chiaki looked up and saw Kiyora standing beside him. Her left hand was holding onto a programme and her right hand was clutching the small hand of a young girl next to her. The girl was staring at Chiaki with an enthusiastic twinkle in her eyes. Giving in to the fact that he had to be polite, Chiaki stood up and nodded at his friend.

"How do you find Nodame's performance so far?" asked Kiyora, smiling. "As expected, she's incredible. Don't you think so?"

_Don't ask_, Chiaki thought, wishing his thoughts would speak on his behalf to save himself from further aggravation.

"She keeps the audience on the edge of their seats," he pointed out quite truthfully.

"I'm so glad she agreed to come here to perform for Maestro's birthday," said Kiyora. "She's really one of the most popular performers around."

"Yes, I guess so. . ."

"By the way, this is my daughter Seika," Kiyora said, placing her arm around the girl's shoulders. "She's turning eight in October."

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Chiaki-san!" exclaimed Seika, bowing low.

Chiaki made an effort to smile at her and said, "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

"She's been so looking forward to meeting you," continued Kiyora, "especially after she watched that interview you had with _Classic Life_."

"I see."

Chiaki appeared to be at a loss for words.

"Chiaki-san, how is that woman Megumi?" Seika asked curiously.

"Oh," said Chiaki, taken aback. "She's. . . okay."

_Doesn't she know that Megumi and Nodame are the same person?_ he thought, puzzled.

"Ojiichan told me you and Megumi used to be together when you were still students," Seika continued, unaware of the meaning of her words.

Kiyora noticed the stunned expression on Chiaki's face and suddenly told her daughter, "Why don't you step outside for a while and get yourself something to drink? You must be thirsty."

Seika consented (albeit reluctantly) and bowed to Chiaki before turning to leave.

"I'm sorry about that," Kiyora whispered as soon as her daughter was out of earshot. "She doesn't know anything – "

"It's fine," said Chiaki simply. "What her grandfather's been telling her is true anyway. I'm just surprised that she doesn't know that 'Megumi' is Nodame's real name," he added in an almost amused voice.

Kiyora laughed quietly, but suddenly assumed a serious mien and said, "Are you all right, Chiaki-kun?"

_No, I'm not_, thought Chiaki.

"Of course I am," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

There was a long pause before Kiyora said, "I just remembered. . . our conversation the other day. Actually, I wasn't planning on bringing it up again but – "

"Don't worry about it," Chiaki said. He hoped his tone of voice didn't betray his desire for Kiyora to instantly end their conversation and head off somewhere else.

"I was wondering," began Kiyora, "if you were planning on staying here until next Saturday to watch the last concert."

"I have to stay in Vienna to keep an eye on Nodame's practice," he answered abruptly without thinking.

"Eh? Are you like her mentor?"

"Yes, you could say that," Chiaki said.

"Doesn't she have a professor or something? She studied at the Conservatoire in Paris, right?"

"Somebody has to make sure she's doing fine."

_What am I saying?_ thought Chiaki.

"I see," muttered Kiyora, though it was obvious that she found the entire arrangement rather ridiculous.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

"Chiaki-kun. . ." Kiyora began in a cautious voice.

"What?"

"Er, nothing," said Kiyora hastily. "Well, I better get going. See you around." With that, she flashed him a quick smile and walked away without another word.

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"Ah! You made it, Senpai!"

Chiaki lifted his eyes from the floor and saw a woman in a shimmering lilac gown approaching him. After the recital (which he did not enjoy at all by any means), he had stayed behind in his seat even though everyone else in the theater had gone already.

"How did you like the waltz?" asked Nodame, her eyes exuding a joyful gleam. "I chose this dress just to fit that song, you know."

Deciding to forget his distress for a moment, Chiaki stood up and said coolly, "Idiot, didn't you know that that piece was also called '_Petit Chien_?'"

"Eh?" Nodame exclaimed in puzzlement.

"It means 'little dog' in French," continued Chiaki. "Chopin dedicated it to Countess Delphine Potocka, who was known for having an affair with a famous Polish count."

"So Chopin thought of the countess as a dog. . ."

Chiaki rolled his eyes and went over to her, placing both of his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"What's the matter, Senpai?" Nodame asked worriedly.

_I have to tell her how much I loathed listening to her this evening_, thought Chiaki. _I can't stand not hearing her play the way she used to._

However, he found that he couldn't find his voice and instead of speaking, he trapped her in an embrace. Though Nodame appeared startled, Chiaki felt her wrap her arms around him too.

"_Did you like Nodame's performance that much?_" she whispered in his ear.

The feel of her warm breath on his face made Chiaki tremble, but he ignored the desires that were rousing once again inside of him.

"No, I didn't," he said.

"What?" asked Nodame, letting go of him suddenly.

"What the heck was that just then?" Chiaki found himself saying in a dark tone.

"Senpai. . ."

"Suddenly changing your style just like that," he continued, the anger inside of him rising. "It didn't sound anything like you."

Nodame looked too astounded to answer.

_Do you know how much it hurt me listening to you?_ thought Chiaki, feeling his heart being swallowed up in anguish.

"_What's wrong with you?!_" he bellowed, ferociously shaking her shoulders.

Tears suddenly started falling from Nodame's eyes.

"Senpai said. . . that even though I'm already a professional. . . my playing still sounded. . . amateur," Nodame said through her sobs and sniffs.

Chiaki thought his already tormented heart was being stabbed. However, he wasn't angry any longer; now he found that he was incredibly dismayed.

_I never said that_, he thought. _How could she think that?_

"I love your piano," he murmured in spite of himself.

"You always say that but you never mean it."

"Nodame, I. . ." began Chiaki, but he couldn't find enough strength to say anything further.

"I'm sorry if Nodame disappointed you," she said in an unexpectedly unfeeling voice. "I'm beginning to understand now, Senpai."

"Understand what?" Chiaki asked, struggling to hide the pain in his eyes.

"I understand now why even then you were always holding back, always pushing me away," explained Nodame. "I know the reason why you broke up with me and why you didn't want to marry me."

_Why did it come back to this?_ thought Chiaki in disbelief.

Before giving Chiaki the chance to explain himself, Nodame continued, "Nothing about me satisfied you. I really was never good enough to be with you. Senpai, you're a prince, a walking and talking god. Everybody looks up to you and admires your talents. People envy you because God blessed you with so many beautiful things, your good looks, your musical ability, your intelligence. But Nodame was. . . just this good-for-nothing hopeless romantic who was so desperate to win you over. For a while, you seemed to like me too because of the way I played. But it's only now that I realized that you didn't even like my piano at all."

"What are you talking about?" muttered Chiaki feebly.

_Don't do this, Nodame._

"Senpai, just admit it," she continued. "It wasn't my playing that you liked. It was the fact that you finally found somebody you could boss around. You're a perfectionist and because you're so good at what you do, you want everybody else to match your standards. You knew that I wanted to catch up to you, so you thought it would be a great opportunity to take advantage of me."

"_Take advantage?" What the hell is she going on about?_

"You saw me as an outlet for all your emotions," Nodame said. "Everything you felt, all the pain and the anxiety in you, was thrown at me. When you shouted at me and scolded me because of everything wrong I did, it was your way of easing your own sadness. Nodame was your punching bag, wasn't she, Senpai?"

"I had no idea. . . that this was how you felt," was all Chiaki could say.

Nodame remained silent and averted her eyes as tears continued to come out of them.

"Nodame. . ." Chiaki began wearily.

"There's no need for you to say anything, Senpai," said Nodame. "And I don't need your help on my piano anymore. You said so yourself, didn't you?"

_Why are you doing this, Nodame?_ thought Chiaki. _Do you hate me this much?_

"You should go back home to Chicago," Nodame said, changing the subject completely. "You must be so tired already. You deserve a vacation."

Chiaki didn't answer, having nothing to tell her anyway.

"I'm going now, Senpai," said Nodame. "Take care when you go home." She smiled broadly at him while her tears continued flowing and without saying anything else, she turned away and went out of the large theater doors.

Chiaki sank into his seat, burying his head in his hands. He felt like he was going to burst into tears just like Nodame, but then he realized that inside, his heart was already doing the crying for him. His head throbbed in pain, synchronizing with the agony he was feeling inside.

_I thought everything was finally settled_, he thought, _that we were somehow back in our relationship, even though neither of us really understood what sort of relationship it was. Why did she suddenly bring it up again?_

But what frustrated him even more was her seeming indifference towards it, as though she was a much older person who was wiser and had a lot more experience. Nearing the end of their discussion, Chiaki felt like he was talking to a patient old _obaachan_ who was just recalling the pains of her past life as though they meant nothing at all to her now.

_Everything about her has suddenly changed. It wasn't just the music. Even her attitude and her outlook on life have completely altered. . . . Am I the one at fault here?_

"Pardon me, sir."

Chiaki started and looked up to see who the owner of the unfamiliar voice was. It turned out to be one of the Volksoper's maintenance personnel, who was holding a bucket of water and a mop.

"I'm sorry to disturb your mulling," said the janitor, "but I'm afraid we need to clean up the theater now. Might I ask you to leave now, sir?"

"No problem," Chiaki muttered, standing up slowly. He felt like his body was heavier than usual.

"Can I ask you something, sir?" the janitor inquired, gazing at Chiaki's disillusioned face.

Chiaki nodded, avoiding the other man's eyes.

"Do you happen to be the lady's boyfriend?" asked the janitor. "The lovely young lady who played the piano so well for us this evening," he added with a small smile.

"No," Chiaki replied brusquely, walking off.

"Oh, well. . . . I thought so!" the janitor shouted after him. "I know it's personal, but I could just tell by looking at your eyes!"

Chiaki sighed and without looking back at the janitor, made his way out of the Volksoper.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another depressing chapter added to this incredibly long tale! With this, you can rest assured that the progress of the story will quicken one way or another since this marks the end of the period of events in Vienna. You're relieved now, aren't you? ;-)

The waltz that was mentioned is Chopin's Waltz No. 6 in D-flat Major, which is also sometimes called the "Minute Waltz" because of its incredibly fast pace. Another familiar name for the piece is "_Petit Chien_", which means "little dog" in French. I think Chopin envisaged a dog trotting briskly down a street when he composed this piece. Anyway, I stand firm in the belief that this waltz is _nigh _impossible to dance to because it's way too fast. I just found that it would be a bit ironic if Nodame dressed up in a gown worn for waltzes when the waltz she's playing is rather un-danceable. (I think _I_'ll be the only person who thinks the situation is ironic. Haha.)

Do I still need to apologize for talking too much?

Your comments are always welcome.


	17. Lesson 17

**LESSON SEVENTEEN**

"I'm so glad the week's over," Nodame sighed, flopping herself onto her bed in the penthouse. She and Elize had just returned very late during that Saturday night from the Volksoper, where the final concert celebrating Kyle Dune's birthday went on successfully.

"You did pretty well with the Brahms quintet," said Elize as she sat down on one of the dining chairs and took off her glasses.

"Oh, that was because. . . Kiyora-chan. . . was leading us," Nodame said as though she was trying hard to brush off the fact that she was already sleepy. "I was a co – complete mess. . . . Everybody else was brilliant."

"I didn't notice," Elize argued with a hint of a grin on her lips.

"Nobody notices. . . . Only Senpai does, you know," continued Nodame, stifling a yawn.

Suddenly reminded of something, Elize asked, "Where's Chiaki, by the way? I didn't see him at the opera house."

"He went home," replied the other simply. "Last. . . Friday, I think."

Nodame kicked off her crystal-studded stilettos and moved to a more comfortable position on the bed.

"Why don't you change into your nightclothes before you go to bed?" Elize suggested, seeing that her client was still wearing a bright orange-colored satin gown.

Nodame murmured something unintelligibly and buried her face in a pillow.

Elize stared at her tiredly for a moment before continuing, "I know you're probably exhausted after these two hectic weeks in Vienna, so I'm cancelling your recitals in Japan and in Shanghai next month. Just go home to Paris and spend some time to yourself. You've done really well so far this year, anyway. You deserve a long break."

She received no answer.

"I'm not cancelling your UK tour in October, though," said Elize. "You better work hard for that since you'll be having concertos with both the London Symphony and the London Philharmonic. And don't forget your repeat performance with the Hong Kong Symphony in December. After that, I'll give you the time to enjoy the winter holidays however you like. That's not such a horrible proposition, is it?"

This time, Nodame replied with one loud snore.

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Chiaki looked up at the bright Chicago midday sky and heaved a sigh. It was particularly warm on that Sunday and because of that, Chiaki decided to spend the afternoon just strolling around Grant Park, which was right across from his apartment. Just for that warm summer day, he had shed his favorite black overcoat and trousers and replaced them with an ordinary-looking T-shirt and a pair of distressed jeans. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had worn such casual attire and he was happy to pull them out of his closet, although deep inside of him he felt like the entire get-up didn't suit his character at all.

As he sauntered along the park's wide concrete paths, he observed the people around him with utter amusement. He passed several groups of tourists, whose identities were given away by the presence of cameras and camcorders. He also came across a few locals: some were sitting quietly on benches, eating huge steak sandwiches, while others were ambling around just like him as though they were looking for a way to pass the time by. Once or twice, he saw a pair of lovers walking hand-in-hand. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Chiaki felt a pang in his heart seeing men and women who seemed to be so comfortable in each other's company. It reminded him of somebody he would rather forget at the moment.

Just then, Chiaki felt his phone vibrate in his jeans' pocket. When he pulled it out and glanced at the screen, he saw that he had one message from the Chicago Symphony's music director. It read:

_Hello, Shinichi, are you back from Vienna already? Mr. Rolf Königsberg, one of the board members of the VPO, has just arrived and he wants you to have dinner with him tonight to talk about your performance in September. It turns out that he's a good friend of Kyle Dune and he saw you during one of the birthday recitals. He said he was meaning to have a word with you, but he couldn't find the right time to, so he went all the way over here just to see you. And I don't think he'll accept "no" for an answer. Text back._

Chiaki sighed, getting slightly annoyed that somebody wanted to spoil what little time he still had to enjoy that sunny afternoon.

_At least_, he thought to himself, _this will take my mind off her for the time being._

"It's back to work now, I guess," he murmured to himself in a resigned tone, turning around and heading back to his apartment.

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"A failure, Ryu-chan?" asked Masumi in disbelief as he and Mine were walking down the stone path leading to the Momogaoka Music Academy campus.

"Yeah, a failure," Mine answered quite glumly. "Kiyora did her best, though. I'm glad about that."

"But you said that everything just turned worse, didn't you?"

After remaining silent for a moment, Mine replied, "It seems that Nodame had a fight with Chiaki right after her recital, but there's nothing to worry about. They'll get back together in no time. Everybody knows Chiaki can't resist her for long."

Mine winked at his companion and flashed his trademark optimistic grin.

"Oh, Ryu-chan, how can you be so positive about all of this?" Masumi moaned, frowning. "You may be right about Chiaki-sama. . . but what about Nodame? What if _she_ resists _him_?"

"_Nodame resisting Chiaki?!_" asked Mine with a laugh. "That's pretty hard to believe, you know."

"But she's changed," Masumi said meaningfully. "You know that. She's still pretty weird, of course, but she _has_ grown up."

The two of them entered the Momogaoka main theater's lobby and saw several Rising Star Orchestra members standing there, waiting for the theater doors to be unlocked.

"Mine-kun!" called the pretty flautist Suzuki Moe. "Do you know who has the keys to the theater? It's locked so nobody can get inside!"

"We're getting bored here, Mine!" the square-faced clarinetist Tamaki Keiji snapped. "Do we still have practice or what?"

The other orchestra members let out annoyed groans and scowled at the new arrivals.

"Oi, all of you!" Mine shouted. "What are you getting worked up about? Instead of waiting here for somebody to unlock the door, let's move to the old practice hall near the Piano Division building. What do you think?" he added brightly.

"_Ryu-chan's always so optimistic about everything_," murmured Masumi to himself.

It took a minute for the orchestra to lose their mean tempers. When each of them finally consented to Mine's proposal, they trooped out of the theater lobby and headed off in the direction of the Piano Division building.

As the lobby gradually emptied, Mine turned to Masumi and said in a voice that made it seem like he was talking to himself, "Everybody's so hot-tempered today. Is it because they missed my divine violin playing?"

"What are you talking about?" said Masumi, pretending to hit his companion on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go. They all look like they want to start practicing right away."

Just as Masumi was about to walk out of the lobby, Mine grabbed his arm tightly.

"What's wrong, Ryu-chan?" Masumi asked, puzzled.

"About Nodame and Chiaki. . ." began Mine. "I'll work something out. Okay? Do you get me?"

Masumi merely stared at his friend's cheerful face.

"Don't worry, Masumi," Mine continued reassuringly. "I've got it all under control. I'll _definitely_ get those two back together. That's a declaration!"

"Don't go making promises you can't keep," Masumi wisely said.

"Oi, we could've already been successful the first time if we did some planning!" retorted Mine in an somewhat irritated tone. "I told you all that it would be better if we actually had a plan to work things out! But _you_ said Chiaki could handle things by himself!"

Masumi sighed drearily and averted his eyes.

"That's why I'm doing this by myself now," Mine said resolutely. "I've already got a plan, anyway. I'm not asking you, guys, to help out but if you want to. . ." His voice trailed off and he didn't finish what he was going to say.

"Isn't that already asking us to help?" asked Masumi, seeing that it was his turn to get annoyed. "You're crazy, Ryu-chan."

"Ah! That's why I'm Nodame's soul mate, right?" Mine piped in, smiling broadly.

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"What do you think of this place, Shinichi?" asked Barenboim. "I'm not really good at choosing restaurants, you know. It's not really my expertise."

"This is fine," Chiaki replied, looking at his surroundings. He and Barenboim were seated at a rather small square-shaped table in a dimly-lit corner of a pizzeria. They were waiting for their Austrian guest to arrive before they had their dinner.

"It's not really the sort of restaurant I expected you to choose," admitted Chiaki in a hushed tone.

Barenboim chuckled and said, "Well, that fellow Königsberg told me he wanted to have a 'taste of Chicago.'"

"Huh?"

"I didn't really understand what he meant," continued Barenboim, "so I thought I'd take him to this pizza place. Chicago _is_ quite famous for pizza, isn't it?"

"Really?" Chiaki asked in wonder.

"You didn't know, Shinichi?" said Barenboim, amused. "You've lived here for more than four years. Surely you must have heard about the legendary Chicago deep-dish pizza."

"Er, no," replied Chiaki hurriedly, his cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink.

"Is music the only thing in your head, my dear boy?" the music director asked, shaking his head.

_It isn't the only thing that occupies my thoughts_, Chiaki said in his mind. _There are a lot of other things too. . ._

Chiaki tried to shake off the truth that there was really only _one_ other thing besides music which he thought about. And it wasn't very hard to guess what that other thing (or rather, person) was.

"Have you thought about the rest of the repertoire?" Barenboim inquired, disrupting Chiaki's musings.

There was a long pause before Chiaki said, "Perhaps I'll do an entirely Russian programme. Maybe Borodin or Tchaikovsky or even Shostakovich, apart from the Stravinsky they gave me."

"Hmm. . . . That sounds good," put in Barenboim. "It's very appropriate to stick to a certain theme."

"What do you mean?" asked Chiaki curiously.

"Well, the Vienna Philharmonic isn't a very modern orchestra in a manner of speaking," Barenboim replied in a cryptic manner.

"Of course it isn't," said Chiaki. "It's one of the oldest orchestras in the world."

"No, no, that's not what I mean. . ."

_Then tell me what you mean_, Chiaki thought, growing impatient.

"Look, there he is!" exclaimed Barenboim, standing up. "Rolf, my good man, it's an honor for you to be here."

He held out his hand to a tall elderly man in a brown suede overcoat who had just entered the pizzeria. The man, whose silvery hair seemed to be receding, shook Barenboim's hand wholeheartedly.

"I'm sorry this arrangement was all done on short notice," Barenboim continued.

"Oh, it's no problem," said the other man. Upon noticing Chiaki's presence, he said even more enthusiastically, "Mr. Chiaki, we finally meet!"

Chiaki stood up but said nothing, being too surprised for words.

_Is he really that excited to see me?_ he thought. He was quite flattered that somebody who managed one of the world's leading orchestras was very much looking forward to meeting him.

"Rolf, this is Shinichi Chiaki," said Barenboim, gesturing at the young Japanese conductor. "Shinichi, this is Rolf Königsberg. He's a chairperson of the VPO."

Chiaki saw nothing but pure delight in Königsberg's eyes as they shook hands. Even when the three of them had taken their seats, Königsberg couldn't seem to take his eyes off his new acquaintance.

Noticing the old man's fixed gaze on him, Chiaki shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Mr. Chiaki, I do believe you were in Vienna the week before last, weren't you?" said Königsberg.

Chiaki simply nodded.

"I knew it was you!" Königsberg exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "I saw you at Megumi Noda's recital! You were seated just three rows behind me."

Again, Chiaki just nodded.

_So _your _seat was the one Nodame and the theater director fought over_, he thought, slightly amused.

"Amazing girl, isn't she?" Königsberg piped in. "_Megumi Noda_. . . . What an enchantress." With that, he sighed dreamily.

All at once, Chiaki felt something boiling up inside of him.

_This old man_, he thought furiously. _Does he have something for Nodame?!_

"She's one of the most brilliant pianists I've ever encountered," added Barenboim with a nod of agreement.

"Ah, even more brilliant than _you_, Daniel?" the other old man teased.

Barenboim chuckled.

"Right then!" said Königsberg suddenly. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

Both Chiaki and Barenboim nodded.

"I wanted to talk about the repertoire," Königsberg continued. "_The Firebird_ has already been decided, am I right? So. . . I'd like to ask Mr. Chiaki here what he has in mind."

He looked at Chiaki expectantly.

"We were just talking about that before you arrived," said Barenboim. "Shinichi has some pretty good ideas."

"Let's hear them, then!" Königsberg said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

After a long pause, Chiaki said, "I thought that maybe we should stick to a Russian selection. . . if that's fine with the board of directors."

"Now, there's no need to be so polite!" said Königsberg, though he appeared very pleased. "But do go on, please."

"Perhaps we could perform Borodin," Chiaki replied. "Or Tchaikovsky."

"Or Shostakovich," Barenboim added, making a small smile. "That's what Shinichi told me."

"What about Prokofiev?" suggested Chiaki, gradually becoming more confident to say what he had in mind.

Königsberg, for the first time during their entire conversation, seemed to look hesitant. After what seemed like a few minutes of careful deliberation, he said, "We'll think about that."

"Rachmaninoff's not too bad either, don't you think?" Barenboim put in.

"Ah, but for that, you _must_ do a concerto," reminded Königsberg. "What about meeting up with that wonderful enchantress we were talking about earlier?" he added with a strange gleam in his eyes.

"I heard she's all set for a tour in the UK at around September," Barenboim said. "Isn't she, Shinichi?"

"Yes, maybe," said Chiaki quickly, eager to avoid the topic as much as possible.

"How unfortunate," Königsberg said with a sigh of disappointment. "I would have loved to hear the famous Golden Pair perform again. I'll have you know, your Rachmaninoff concertos are always splendid, Mr. Chiaki."

Königsberg winked at Chiaki, who avoided looking at him.

"Thank you," Chiaki said almost inaudibly while he kept his eyes fixed on the table.

"I don't think I have ever heard such a unified Rachmaninoff in my life," continued Königsberg pensively. "When I heard your Piano Concerto No. 3 last May, I thought I'd never listened to any concerto quite like it. It was like the orchestra and the piano were a single entity performing the music. It was as though two bodies were united and held together so strongly. I felt like I was hearing the music of a man and a woman making love to one another. . . . It was utterly delightful listening to you both."

Chiaki's eyes widened in shock.

_Another _hentai, he thought, gulping. _And just when I thought I'd already escaped one._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So far, I've been trying to make the events progress more quickly. That's why I chose to divide this chapter into three settings: Vienna, Chicago, and Tokyo. Is it too fast?

Rolf Königsberg is a fictional character, in case you're wondering. I _did_ name him after one of my beloved elementary school teachers, though. ;-)

If you like, you could research about all the Russian composers mentioned above, but do be wary of spoilers lurking in their biographies!

Hmm. . . guess what I'm supposed to be saying next?

Tell me what you think!


	18. Lesson 18

**LESSON EIGHTEEN**

Something was stopping Tanya from reaching her goal. It wasn't such a big obstacle, but deep in her heart she knew that it would be a hard one to get through. She remained frozen on the spot, gazing at that obstacle and thinking discretely of a plan to get past it. She was certain that if she just acted quickly enough, she would be able to dodge that obstacle. However, she had to do something fast and she had to do it _now_.

"Hey, you little pooch!" she shrieked. "Step away from the gate!"

The cocker spaniel Espérance stared up into her face and growled loudly. Its eyes looked menacing.

"_Shoo!_ Go back to your dear landlady!" Tanya snapped just as the dog rushed towards her and pulled at her skirt with its sharp teeth.

"No, stop it!" continued Tanya, holding up her skirt a few inches higher so that the dog wouldn't be able to reach it.

This time, Espérance jumped high, attempting to grab Tanya's skirt again.

"Go away! Please!" Tanya pleaded. "I have to go to work, you know!"

Still, the dog refused to stop.

_Should I kick her?_ thought Tanya, trying to avoid getting scratched by the dog's claws. She was dead sure that the landlady would evict her from the apartment if anything happened to her beloved cocker spaniel.

Suddenly, the gate burst open from the outside and hit Espérance's bottom, sending her flying onto one of the rosebushes in the apartment's small garden.

"_Gyabo!_ Did I hit something?!"

Tanya gasped upon seeing a woman heaving a large lime green suitcase into the apartment complex. The woman was wearing a small bonnet, which unfortunately did not do a decent job of hiding her messy hair.

"No – No. . . _NODAME!!!_" Tanya squealed, running over to her friend.

"Oh, Tanya!" exclaimed Nodame. She dropped her luggage at once and hugged Tanya tightly, saying, "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Nodame," said Tanya, kissing Nodame lightly on the cheek. "How was Vienna?"

"It was. . ." began Nodame, but she didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she shrugged and avoided Tanya's eyes.

Tanya seemed taken aback and whispered, "Did something happen?"

Nodame didn't answer.

"Hey, answer me!" Tanya said sharply, shaking Nodame's shoulders. "Was it something about your recital?"

"I guess you could say that," said Nodame feebly.

"But Yasu called me that night and he said you did great!"

"I suppose I did," Nodame muttered, her lips protruding. She took up her suitcase again and made her way hurriedly into the apartment as though she was determined not to talk to Tanya.

"Nodame, wait!" called Tanya as her friend disappeared up the spiral staircase of the building, leaving her thoroughly baffled.

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_Finally_, thought Chiaki, making a relieved sigh. _I have some peace and quiet._

He slowly took off his shoes as he entered his dark apartment. When he had placed his shoes neatly on the rack right next to the front door, he went further into the apartment and fell facedown on the leather couch. He was extremely exhausted after a long afternoon meeting with Barenboim and the other members of the board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. They had talked about their plans for the next season of performances and shared their ideas about the upcoming repertoire. They also went through a list of several acclaimed soloists who they wanted to participate. For a while, Chiaki seemed to be enjoying the meeting and he was having a bit of fun choosing the soloists and the pieces he would perform with the orchestra, but what was supposed to be a quick conference turned into an early dinner meeting which lasted for more than five hours. To say that he was tired was an understatement. He desperately wanted his rest and he was more than grateful to hear nothing but the absolute silence that his apartment could afford.

"_Chiaki!_" a voice nearby hissed.

Chiaki's face twitched.

_Dammit, am I hearing things?_ he thought.

"_Oi! Chiaki!_" the voice continued in a whisper.

_A burglar?_ thought Chiaki, immediately getting up from the couch and grabbing his large leather bag from the floor. He wrapped the bag's strap around his hand, ready to strike whoever was lurking in the darkness.

_Wait, how would a burglar know that my name's Chiaki?_ he asked himself. He groaned and threw his bag onto the couch.

When the voice didn't speak again, Chiaki said loudly, "Who's there?"

The lights suddenly turned on and Chiaki beheld in front of him a tall, thin Japanese man with striking blond hair and equally striking rock concert attire.

"What are you doing here, Mine?" asked Chiaki with a scowl as he sat back down on the couch.

"Aren't you even happy to see your best friend?" Mine asked disbelievingly.

Chiaki looked neither happy nor surprised. He glowered at Mine before murmuring, "How did you get in here?"

"Well, I'm the master of espionage," replied Mine smugly, taking his seat next to Chiaki.

_"Espionage?"_ thought Chiaki. _Maybe you mean "break-in."_

When Chiaki met him with another frown, Mine quickly answered, "All right, all right! You left your door unlocked, so it was fairly easy to get in."

Chiaki answered with a groan. He leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes wearily.

"You should be careful," Mine continued. "There _are_ burglars in New York too, right?" he added softly.

"It's Chicago, idiot," snapped Chiaki.

"Oh, right," Mine said, laughing. "Well, actually, that's the reason why I'm here!"

"Huh?"

"I've never been to Chicago before," explained Mine, "and I've always wanted to go here, so I thought it would be nice to visit you."

"What is it exactly that you want to see in Chicago?" Chiaki asked, his eyes still closed.

Mine hesitated before replying, "All the places Julia Roberts went to!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Chiaki, opening his eyes and staring at Mine in confusion.

"I just watched Julia Roberts in this movie," Mine said in an enthusiastic voice. "It was about a woman – she was a food critic, actually – who was madly in love with her best friend, who's a man. When the man invited her to attend his wedding in Chicago and become the maid of honor, Julia Roberts made this plan to break up the wedding and steal her best friend. It was great, actually."

Chiaki remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. After a while, he said, "That's the film _My Best Friend's Wedding_, right?"

"Yeah, you know it too?!" exclaimed Mine. "It was cool, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," Chiaki answered vaguely. He rested his head on the top of the couch and closed his eyes again.

"Oi, Chiaki! Don't fall asleep on me!"

_I want to sleep, dammit!_ Chiaki thought furiously, keeping his eyes firmly shut. _Why do you even have to be here, Mine?!_

"I brought the DVD with me!" Mine said brightly, shuffling through his bag and pulling out a DVD case. "Let's watch it together, okay?"

"Eh?" groaned Chiaki as he opened his eyes once again and sat up on the couch. He saw that Mine was already fumbling with the remote controls of his television set and DVD player.

"I never said I agreed to watch it with you!" he bellowed, standing up. _Why can't a man ever get any rest around here?!_ he added in his mind.

"Calm down, Chiaki," said Mine as he resumed his seat on the couch and forced Chiaki on the seat next to him. "We're going to have a lot of fun! Just think of this as bonding time with your best friend, okay?"

Chiaki rolled his eyes at Mine, who pressed the Play button on the DVD player's remote control.

When the background music for the first scene started playing, Mine gasped, "Oh, it's started already! Come on, Chiaki, let's enjoy ourselves!"

His eyebrows furrowed angrily, Chiaki turned his eyes to the TV screen, where he saw Julia Roberts in a sleek black gown walking down a red carpet. It appeared as though she was attending a film premiere because there were many photographers all around.

_Is this _My Best Friend's Wedding_?_ he thought, trying to remember the very beginning of the film.

"Listen to that song, Chiaki!" Mine whispered excitedly. "It's such a nice song, isn't it?"

"Huh?" asked Chiaki, bewildered. Forgetting his other thoughts, he focused on the song playing in the film's background.

"_She may be the face I can't forget_

_A trace of pleasure or regret_

_May be my treasure or the price I have to pay. . ._"

Suddenly, a thought struck Chiaki.

"That's not _My Best Friend's Wedding_!" he said at once.

"Yes, it is!" Mine argued. "It's my favorite movie, so I should know it!"

Though he himself knew that he wasn't a big movie fan, Chiaki was very much certain that what they were watching wasn't _My Best Friend's Wedding_. It was Julia Roberts, but she wasn't the food critic Mine was talking about earlier. In this movie, it seemed like she was a movie star.

"Idiot," muttered Chiaki crossly. "Are you trying to fool me? That's _Notting Hill_."

"Eh?!" Mine said in a voice that sounded almost like a yell. "You're lying!"

Chiaki grunted in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair.

_Dammit, can't I just have a moment's rest?!_ he thought.

After a while, Mine said in a defeated tone, "You're right. It isn't _My Best Friend's Wedding_."

Chiaki nodded impatiently and made a move to grab the remote control.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" demanded Mine, skillfully prying Chiaki's hands off the remote control. "This one's a really good movie too! Let's watch it anyway!"

Knowing that Mine would never let him rest by then, Chiaki begrudgingly consented.

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"Ah, Elize! You came!" said Stresemann in his booming voice as he entered his small cottage's parlor. He saw his long-time manager lounging on his couch and flipping through Nagaoka Mami's latest photobook with a disgusted expression on her face.

Elize quickly sat up on the couch and straightened the creases on her skirt.

"Might I ask what brings you to my humble abode?" Stresemann inquired, smiling. He sat down on one of the armchairs opposite Elize.

"I have to make sure you're not up to anything suspicious," replied Elize, setting the photobook back on Stresemann's coffee table.

The Maestro laughed heartily.

"'_Suspicious?_'" he asked. "I don't believe that word's a part of my vocabulary."

Elize narrowed her eyes at him, saying, "I haven't been receiving any reports lately about your womanizing. Isn't that sufficient cause to be suspicious?"

"I'm a changed man now," said Stresemann in a humble manner.

"What are you saying, Franz?" Elize demanded. "Weren't you the one who said you couldn't survive without cigarettes, alcohol, and women?"

After a long pause, Stresemann answered, "That was me then. This is me now. Besides, aren't you happy about this?"

"Of course I am! You might at least save me from the trouble of hunting for you in brothels."

Chuckling, Stresemann continued, "I've realized that all these long years of my life were wasted on meaningless pursuits."

"Maestro. . ." began Elize, amazed at her client's sudden change of character.

"I'm going to miss my harems," said Stresemann melancholically, "especially the one at Club One More Kiss in Tokyo. . . . But it's better that I should leave them for good."

"Just how many harems do you actually have?" Elize asked in a somewhat exhausted voice.

"Ah, more than your innocent female mind should know. . ."

All Elize could do was sigh.

"Now, really," said Stresemann, staring into Elize's face with the utmost seriousness, "why are you here, Elize?"

Elize took a deep breath before answering in a giggly voice, "I came to tell you about _him_!"

"Who?"

"_Him!_" Elize said breathlessly, clasping her hands together and staring at the ceiling dreamily. "The gorgeous blonde Frenchman, the best conductor in the world!"

"I won't be able to understand you with such a vague description," Stresemann said in a resigned tone. "And that's obviously not me you're talking about, even though he seems to be very good-looking and a great conductor at that – "

"Jean Donnadieu!" snapped Elize. "Who else do you think I'm talking about?"

Stresemann sighed and muttered, "You know you don't stand a chance. He's a married man now. And that wife of his is quite a nasty little creature, I'm telling you. . ."

"I'm not out to steal him from that woman," Elize retorted. "And she's not that bad, you know," she added.

Elize's client merely smirked at her and motioned for her to go on.

"He's going to be the conductor during Nodame's tour in the UK in October!" explained Elize before letting out a squeal of delight.

Stresemann had a bit of difficulty hiding the amusement in his face.

"Actually, the London Philharmonic's board of directors was hoping Chiaki would conduct," Elize said.

"I don't see why they _wouldn't_ want him to do it," said Stresemann shrewdly. "He's better than that Donnadieu fellow, anyway – "

"_I beg your pardon?_" Elize said loudly, scowling at him.

Stresemann sighed tiredly.

Elize continued, "Anyway, they said they preferred Chiaki because the Golden Pair's already a really popular act among British audiences. But Chiaki obviously can't do it because he's committed to the Chicago Symphony and apart from that, he has a guest conducting stint with the Vienna Philharmonic."

"So it seems," murmured Stresemann with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Chiaki has already had enough publicity," Elize said. "It's time for him to move aside and let Jean take center stage. He already robbed Jean's glory when he won the Platini Competition – "

"Don't tell me you haven't gotten over that yet," interrupted Stresemann in a disapproving tone. "That was more than a decade ago."

"Jean deserved to win that competition!" Elize argued. "Chiaki messed up horribly during the third round. I mean, what the heck was that _Till Eulenspiegel_ of his? It was a complete disaster."

"But Chiaki still won, didn't he?" asked Stresemann, smiling wickedly.

Elize snorted, but didn't say anymore.

"I wonder. . ." began Stresemann pensively. "If you hated Chiaki so much, why did you put in all that effort to get him as your client?"

Elize froze on her seat, looking as though she was lost for words. After about a minute, she said hurriedly, "Chiaki wasn't the best, but he _was_ pretty good. And I knew nobody would offer him any contracts anyway, so I thought I'd do him a favor. Now look where he is now," she added a bit smugly.

"_Women_," hissed Stresemann under his breath. "_That's why I decided to leave them forever._"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Has Franz Stresemann become a woman hater? Hmm. . .

Acknowledgments are due to Etou Rin, the scriptwriter of the live-action drama, from whom I got Stresemann's line "I won't be able to understand you with such a vague description." It was originally Mine's line in Episode 2 of the drama. I just reworded it a bit.

By the way, Nagaoka Mami is a real-life Japanese gravure model. The fictional Stresemann is one of her loyal photobook buyers.

I hope Julia Roberts doesn't mind her cameo role here. ;-)

Your comments are highly appreciated.


	19. Lesson 19

**LESSON NINETEEN**

Nodame toddled into her apartment with a huge pile of letters and packages in her hands. She sat down on the edge of her bed, where she dropped the pile on top of the thick polka-dotted blanket covering it. She reached for the topmost letter in the pile and read the back of the envelope.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, making a small smile. "It's from Maki-chan!"

She placed the envelope on her lap and started fishing for other letters in the pile. However, her eyes fell on a large parcel instead. She grabbed it from underneath the heap of mail and looked for the sticker on it containing the return address. Written in minute Japanese characters was the name "Okuyama Masumi."

"Masumi-chan?!" she gasped excitedly.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Nodame proceeded to opening the package. It turned out to be the most recent issue of the Japanese publication of the _Classic Life_ magazine. The person on the cover was Chiaki, who looked extremely dashing in a black tuxedo.

_Senpai must be so famous now_, Nodame thought, flipping the magazine open.

To her surprise, she saw a picture of herself on an advertisement page which promoted her UK tour in October.

"_Gyabo!_" she squealed. "When was this picture taken?!"

She turned a few more pages until she found the article about Chiaki. It was entitled "The Risen Star" and was written by Sakuma Manabu, the famed music critic who had a fondness for Chiaki even when he was still a university student.

_I wonder what this is all about_, thought Nodame in wonder as she began reading the cover story.

_THE RISEN STAR_

_A Special _Dream Color Classic _Feature_

_By Sakuma Manabu_

_It has been almost fourteen years since the world first discovered the marvelous talents of Chiaki Shinichi. As a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music in Tokyo, his instructors and peers already knew of his worth and his exceptional musical abilities. However, it was only during his last year at the university that his talents began to shine. Thanks to a school activity wherein Chiaki got the chance to show off his impeccable skills in piano, he was catapulted to stardom overnight and became a popular _Classic Life _pin-up. He didn't stop there, though. Just as his final year in school was about to end, Chiaki decided to form a semi-professional orchestra with the now-celebrated violinist Miki Kiyora called the Rising Star Orchestra (more commonly known as the __R S Orchestra). This time, he grabbed the opportunity to display his extraordinary gift at conducting. The R S Orchestra, like Chiaki, became an overnight sensation._

_Shortly after the founding of the R__ S Orchestra, Chiaki left his home country for Europe, the holy land of classical music. It was there that he competed in the prestigious quadrennial Platini Conducting Competition, which was held in Prague. The then-22 year-old took home the coveted First Prize trophy and was subsequently offered many conducting positions in several well-known orchestras in Europe. It did not take long for the conductor extraordinaire to make a name for himself in Europe and elsewhere._

_Now, after many long years of hard work, Chiaki has arrived at the stage of being a world-famous musical performer. At 35 years old, he is one of the most sought-after conductors in the classical music scene. Over the past few years, he has conducted such orchestras as the Paris-based Roux-Marlet Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra of which he is currently the principal conductor. He has also gained renown for being part of the much-admired conductor-pianist duo called the Golden Pair with the eminent piano virtuoso Megumi Noda._

_And this September, he will make history as the first Asian guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the greatest and most respected orchestras in the world. This achievement truly makes him no longer a rising star, just as the name of his first orchestra suggests, but a _risen_ star. Chiaki has now reached a superior level in music which so many others have vied to achieve. Nonetheless, he could not have accomplished something like this without his palpable passion for music and his fervent desire to create it wholeheartedly and ardently. Because of this, he has become known as a performer who frees music from the barren conditions that have so stifled it. Indeed, this makes Chiaki Shinichi a genuine risen star._

"This is great!" Nodame muttered to herself happily. "Senpai will get to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic! I wonder if he'll send me a ticket. . ."

Nodame closed the cover of the magazine and gazed at Chiaki's picture on it for several moments.

"He's _so_ handsome," she whispered almost breathlessly, feeling her heart beat faster just by looking at the picture.

"Ah!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot all about Maki-chan!"

With that, she quickly placed the magazine on the bed and hurriedly opened the letter her old friend Tanaka Makiko sent her.

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"How was it, Chiaki-kun?" asked Sakuma Manabu in a hopeful tone. He was on the phone with Chiaki, who had just finished reading the article called "The Risen Star" in the _Classic Life_ magazine.

On the other end of the line, Chiaki appeared to be lost for words.

"Chiaki-kun?" he heard Sakuma's voice ask. "Are you still there?"

"Yes," Chiaki replied abruptly.

"Well, what did you think?"

"It was. . ." began Chiaki, trying to find the right words to express his feelings.

_It sounded so much like you_, Chiaki said in his mind. _But the weird poetry wasn't there, thankfully._

"Did you like what I wrote, Chiaki-kun?" asked Sakuma quite impatiently.

Chiaki opened his mouth to speak, but then he suddenly realized something and decided to ignore Sakuma's question.

"Did you quote Debussy in that article?" he asked bluntly.

There was a long pause before Sakuma answered in a stuttering voice, "I – I can't believe you n-noticed. That's very b-bright of you."

Chiaki rolled his eyes, grateful that Sakuma couldn't see him.

"Debussy's words were 'I love music passionately, and because I love it I try to free it from the barren conditions that stifle it,'" continued Chiaki pointedly.

"Ah, well. . ." said Sakuma who seemed to have nothing more to say.

"You could get sued for plagiarism, Sakuma-san," Chiaki said.

There was another long period of silence during which Chiaki was certain Sakuma was groping in his mind for the most rational explanation he could think of.

_Is he refusing to answer?_ thought Chiaki as he waited for Sakuma to say something.

When he realized that Sakuma really had no intention of talking about the subject anymore, he decided to say, "Thank you for sending me a copy."

"Oh, of course!" Sakuma replied at once with a nervous sort of laugh. "I hope you can visit me at my office in Japan some time soon."

_Don't even think about it_, Chiaki thought heatedly.

"Well, I must go now, Chiaki-kun," said Sakuma. "I'll be watching your beloved R S Orchestra perform at Suntory Hall this evening – "

_The R S Orchestra's having a concert?_ thought Chiaki, puzzled. _Then what's Mine doing here with me?_

He glanced at Mine, who was sitting on a stool in his kitchen and heartily devouring a large peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"They're doing Dvořák's Symphony No. 9," Sakuma continued. "I know they'll play wonderfully. They always do, anyway. Goodbye, Chiaki-kun."

"Yes, goodbye," Chiaki replied distractedly as he eyed his house guest suspiciously. He strode over to the kitchen immediately after setting down his phone on the coffee table.

"Oi, Mine!" he said sharply.

Mine looked up from his sandwich to stare at Chiaki's face.

"What?" asked Mine.

"I heard you're having a concert," said Chiaki.

"Oh, yeah, we are!" Mine replied with a smile. "We're performing the _From the New World_ Symphony by Dvořák. It's this really great piece that reminds you of the glory and the wonder of youth! I thought it would fit our image, so I got Matsuda-san to choose it for us!" he added, winking.

"What image?" snapped Chiaki.

"The image of being a young, good-looking orchestra!" Mine replied enthusiastically.

"What about the image of responsibility?" asked Chiaki in an incredulous tone. "The image of being serious and passionate about music? What the hell happened to that?"

"Hey, calm down!" said Mine as he reluctantly set down his sandwich on a plate. He stood up and walked over to Chiaki.

"Isn't that concert supposed to be tonight?" asked Chiaki, trying to fight the anger inside of him.

"It _is_ night, Chiaki."

"_In Japan, dammit!_" Chiaki spat.

Against his expectations, Mine laughed loudly and sat back down on the stool.

"Idiot, Takahashi's filling in for me as concertmaster," explained Mine, taking up his sandwich again. "Don't get so agitated. I've got it all under control."

Though still rather annoyed, Chiaki sank down onto one of the other stools in the kitchen and remained silent.

"Oi, Chiaki, where's the real food?" Mine asked after a minute.

"What?"

"I'm starving," moaned Mine, caressing his stomach in an exaggerated manner. "All you gave me was this sandwich. It's pretty tasty and all that, but when are we actually having dinner?"

Now thoroughly infuriated, Chiaki whipped out his wallet and tossed it in Mine's direction. Mine caught it nimbly.

"What's this for?" asked Mine in wonder.

"Go out and eat something at a restaurant," Chiaki said, his eyes narrowed.

"Eh?" Mine exclaimed animatedly, his eyes widening. "You're giving me your money?!"

"Don't spend all of it," continued Chiaki.

Mine stood up at once and gave Chiaki a salute before rushing out the door.

_He's always looking for so much food_, thought Chiaki as he heard his front door slam shut. _As expected of somebody whose father runs a restaurant._

_I could have just made him some beef _ravioli, he continued in his mind. _I just went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients this morning. Ah, never mind._

_I hope he doesn't spend all my money. Dammit, I shouldn't have given him the entire wallet._

_I _am _a bit hungry too. Maybe I'll make myself some _ravioli.

Chiaki got up from the stool and started rummaging through his refrigerator for the _ravioli_ ingredients without another moment's thought.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is a rather short chapter in comparison to the others. I hope this will be a good change because many of the most recent chapters are much too long in my opinion.

Mine is the R S Orchestra's concertmaster in this fic. I decided to make Takahashi Noriyuki a fill-in member of the R S Orchestra as well as the concertmaster of the New Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra in Tokyo instead, so Mine will get a chance to become one of the official leaders of the orchestra. However, I _am_ still sticking to the original storyline, wherein Takahashi replaces Kiyora as the R S Orchestra's concertmaster, but let's just think of that as something that happened ages ago in this particular story. ;-)

I hope Claude Debussy's perfectly fine with me quoting him.

Again, I'm sorry for my mouth.

Your comments are always welcome.


	20. Lesson 20

**LESSON**** TWENTY**

Tanya and Nodame, each with an umbrella over their heads, made a run for the nearest outdoor café offering a roof just as the sky began to darken and the rain started to pour violently. When they finally reached the café, they settled themselves on two chairs and closed their umbrellas.

Shaking her head, Tanya said in an annoyed tone, "This weather is just horrible! When will all this rain stop?"

"Ah, don't you like the rain?" asked Nodame brightly as she stared at the grey sky. "Nodame likes the rain."

"Then only Nodame likes the rain," Tanya snapped in a sarcastic manner. After one of the waiters approached them and she ordered two glasses of water, she murmured, "I can't believe Franck's late again! He was supposed to meet us at the church of St. Germain de Prés almost thirty minutes ago!"

"He must be having a hard time getting through the rain," suggested Nodame in the same cheerful voice.

"Here you go, mademoiselles," the waiter said, setting down two glasses of water on their table. "Dreadful weather, don't you think?"

"Oh, definitely!" Tanya replied eagerly, throwing Nodame a scowl.

"I think it's beautiful when it rains," said Nodame. "It comforts you to know that you have someone to hug you right in the middle of the storm. _Mukya!_" she added, giggling.

The waiter made a small smile before he went back into the café.

"The question is 'Do you have someone to hug you right in the middle of the storm?'" Tanya asked rather tactlessly when the waiter was out of earshot.

Nodame made a pout and turned her head away.

Neither of them spoke for a while as they absorbed themselves in the sound of the faraway thunder and the plopping of the rain on the café roof. Tanya seemed extremely irritated because of the unending rain, but Nodame looked utterly delighted and often let out dreamy sighs.

"Why are you so happy today, Nodame?" Tanya ventured to ask.

Nodame hesitated before answering, "It's going to be my first time watching a ballet! I'm very excited."

"I hope that gorgeous Swedish dancer appears in this one again!" squealed Tanya excitedly, her attitude changing completely.

"The title of the ballet tonight is _Giselle_," Nodame said as though she was informing herself about it. "Do you know the story, Tanya?"

"No, I don't," replied her companion shortly. "I've only watched _Swan Lake_, _The Nutcracker_, and _The Sleeping Beauty_. Besides, I only get to see ballets when Franck gives me tickets because they're more expensive than tickets to orchestra performances. It's a good thing you're coming along this time. I'm sure we'll have fun."

"Will Franck be performing for this ballet?" asked Nodame.

"I'm not sure," Tanya said. "Ah! Isn't that him? The blonde guy with the blue umbrella! That's Franck, right?" she continued, pointing at somebody walking briskly towards them.

When the man reached the café and folded up his umbrella, he glanced at Nodame and Tanya and flashed them a smile.

"Franck!" exclaimed Nodame, standing up and running over to him. She was about to hug him but Franck backed away instantly.

"No, don't! I'm all wet!" he pleaded.

"So am I!" Nodame declared and trapped her friend in a warm embrace.

When Nodame let go of him, Franck asked, "How are you, Nodame?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she replied in a hurried manner. "How about you? I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I'm great!" Franck said, grinning. "The ballet orchestra's a pretty good group to be in. I got to do the piano solo for _Petrushka_ last month. It was a fantastic experience!"

"Hey, why didn't you give me a ticket?!" retorted Tanya as she approached them at the café's entrance.

"Ah, sorry about that," muttered Franck, turning a bit red. "I asked the theater director, but he just wouldn't budge. It's good that he agreed this time, though. And to think that he gave me three tickets!"

"'Three?'" Tanya asked. "If the two tickets are for me and Nodame, then who's the third one for?"

"Me, of course," replied Franck matter-of-factly. "I'm not performing tonight."

"Then what about the handsome ballet dancer from Sweden?" Tanya inquired enthusiastically.

"Who are you talking about?" Franck asked. "Besides, don't you already have a boyfriend?"

Tanya looked abashed and didn't say anymore.

"Let's get going, then," said Franck as he opened his umbrella once more and stepped out into the rain. "Do both of you have umbrellas?"

"Yes, we do!" Nodame replied, showing her small white umbrella, which was printed all over with heart shapes. She opened it and followed Franck out of the shelter of the café.

Tanya did the same and said in a very audible whisper, "Ugh, this horrible rain again."

As they started walking along the sidewalk, Franck turned to look at the two girls and said something neither of them could hear amidst the loud gushing of rain on the street.

"Speak louder!" Tanya shouted.

Franck then asked in a much louder voice, "Why didn't you wait inside the church like I told you to?"

All at once, Nodame let out a giggle.

"_Nodame!_" hissed Tanya, a tinge of pink appearing on her cheeks.

With a broad grin on her face, Nodame said, "Tanya was afraid of the church."

"Huh?" asked Franck in confusion.

"She didn't like the sound of the rain when we were inside," continued Nodame, completely amused. "She thought it was scary!"

Franck answered with an unpleasant outburst of laughter and continued in a voice that was close to a shout, "What's going on with you, Tanya? You're thinking of cheating on Kuroki and now you're afraid of the rain?"

"I'm not going to cheat on Yasu!" retorted Tanya angrily, though her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment. "I would _never_ do that! And I'm not afraid of the rain, either," she added sheepishly.

"_WHAT?_" asked Franck and Nodame in unison. Both of them were bellowing at the top of their lungs to make themselves heard.

Tanya rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, forcing her companions to run in order to catch up with her.

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"Nodame, it's time to go," said Tanya, standing up.

Nodame determinedly shook her head as she kept her face buried in her hands. Ever so often, her sobs would issue loudly through the gaps in between her fingers.

"Was it _that_ touching?" Franck asked sympathetically, patting Nodame lightly on the shoulder.

Tanya sighed tiredly and resumed her seat in their private box in the Palais Garnier. After a while, she said quite wistfully, "The only times she cries this hard is when Chiaki conducts Brahms's symphonies."

"You mean, Brahms's first symphony?" asked Franck.

"No, all of his symphonies!" Tanya replied, gazing at their weeping companion.

"But why Brahms?" Franck continued to ask.

"Maybe his life reminds her of something," said Tanya in an unsure tone. _Perhaps Brahms's ill-fated love story reminds her of her own doomed romance with Chiaki_, she added in her mind.

"Nodame really is something!" Franck put in, making a small smile.

"Come on, Nodame," Tanya spoke in a voice that showed she was trying her best not to sound too impatient. "Let's go. We're still having dinner at that nice Italian restaurant around the corner."

Nodame didn't move an inch.

"Nodame. . ." began Franck in a whisper. "I'm always here at the Palais Garnier, so I know all about its secrets. One of my friends in the ballet orchestra told me that after 10 o'clock in the evening, the famous ballerina Sylvie Guillem's ghost appears on the stage and goes up to Box 7B, where she sits all night as if she's watching a midnight performance of a ballet!"

"What time is it?" Nodame whimpered softly, lifting her face from her hands.

"It's 9:57," replied Tanya after she glanced at her fancy rhinestone-studded wristwatch.

"What box is this?" continued Nodame.

Tanya pulled out her ticket stub from her pocket and read aloud, "'Box 7B.'"

"_Mukya!!!_" shrieked Nodame in fright, immediately getting up from her seat and rushing out of their box.

Franck made a guilty sort of giggle as Nodame disappeared from their sight.

"Franck," said Tanya plainly.

"What?"

"You _do_ know that Sylvie Guillem is still alive, don't you?" Tanya asked, her eyebrows arched.

Franck hastily made his way out of Box 7B to hide the look of embarrassment on his face.

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"Oi, Chiaki!" called Mine from the living room.

Chiaki groaned and jerked his head in Mine's direction.

"Let's watch _Notting Hill_ again!" Mine said loudly.

"I'm a bit busy here," said Chiaki in a cold voice as he returned to his laptop.

He was just about to finish an e-mail he was going to send to Rolf Königsberg, the VPO chairperson he had met a few days earlier. The e-mail was about his final plans for the repertoire of his September performance with the Vienna Philharmonic. After a lot of careful thinking (Mine's annoying suggestions and unpredictable activities notwithstanding), Chiaki was able to decide on Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Borodin's Polovetsian Dances, and Prokofiev's _Romeo and Juliet_ Ballet Suite, apart from Stravinsky's _Firebird_ Ballet Suite.

It was not very difficult for him to choose the Tchaikovsky since it had been his favorite piece since childhood. Apart from that, it played an important role in the shaping of his conducting career: it was his winning piece at the Platini Conductor's Competition in Prague almost twelve years previously. For that piece, he knew that the perfect person to play the violin solo was his old friend, the highly successful Miki Kiyora. Chiaki didn't know why it bothered him slightly to think that her husband was lazily reclining on his couch just a few feet away from him. He was incredibly exasperated that Mine had intruded into his otherwise peaceful Chicago loft and had been pestering him for the past three days without even giving a warning signal.

_Damn that Mine_, he thought crossly, jabbing his finger on the Space key on his laptop's keyboard a little harder than he intended to. _Ah, never mind._

Chiaki decided on the Borodin because, like the Violin Concerto, that particular piece also helped build his career as a conductor. It had been one of the very first pieces he conducted as a professional. He remembered as though it had happened just yesterday when Stresemann told him that he was too ill to conduct the New Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra and because of that, he handed over his baton to his one and only protégé Chiaki. The Polovetsian Dances were praised by the critics, but he recalled that it was Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 which received nearly all the attention. Chiaki remembered that that was his first time to conduct a piano concerto and he thought bitterly of how Nodame must have digested that fact grievously. After all, she had declared very boldly that she would be the pianist when Chiaki conducted his first piano concerto.

_She still got to perform all those other concertos with me after that anyway_, thought Chiaki. _That idiot. Maybe she was just jealous that the pianist at that time was Son Rui._

In spite of what he was thinking, Chiaki knew that all the concertos he and Nodame had done as the Golden Pair would never sum up to his first time to conduct a piano concerto. He was well aware that for Nodame, the first time meant everything. That was why _he_ meant so much to her. He was her first real love and even her first kiss. When they had been together, it was her first time being in a serious relationship.

_Heck, that was probably the _only _time she was ever in a relationship_, he thought.

Chiaki was slightly amused at this truth. He was quite flattered that even then he was really the only one she had ever allowed to fill up all the spaces she could offer inside her heart.

_Until now, does she still feel the same way?_ Chiaki asked in his mind, feeling himself grow cold all of a sudden. _The last time we talked. . . it felt like she was indirectly asking me to step out of her life._

"_I don't need your help on my piano anymore__."_

Chiaki felt her words sting him painfully. He understood perfectly well that her music was a vital part of her very existence and that he was one of the few people who had helped her grow in the musical aspect of her life. For her to suddenly tell him that she didn't need him anymore when it came to her music hurt Chiaki more than any physical assault on his body would ever do.

_I should stop thinking about her_, he decided. _It's much too troublesome._

"Prokofiev," he muttered under his breath in an attempt to change his line of thinking.

_Now I wonder why I chose his ballet suite_, thought Chiaki.

By that time, Chiaki understood what Barenboim meant when he said that the VPO wasn't a "modern" orchestra. He had thought about it carefully and when he finally found out what the Chicago Symphony's music director implied by his cryptic words, he knew that Barenboim was absolutely right. Chiaki was aware that the VPO had always been a rather conservative orchestra. He knew that it was a group which prided itself in its rich heritage and old traditions. Chiaki understood that he was going to be the first Asian to ever get the chance to conduct that orchestra and for him to be chosen meant that the VPO was somehow putting aside its longtime beliefs and allowing a bit of change in its system.

He did not know exactly why, but Chiaki felt both excited and frightened at the thought of conducting such a distinguished orchestra. He felt that so much responsibility had been placed in his hands, which seemed far too small to carry all those burdens. He knew that he had to stay focused this time in order to successfully take on all his new responsibilities and he tried desperately not to think of this newfound challenge as a burden.

_Will Prokofiev be another burden adding to the already heavy load?_ he thought.

Chiaki was sure that the VPO would give much thought on his last song choice because of the nature of its composition and style. Prokofiev became famous for being something of a musical rebel. He was a free-thinking composer who created his own style and did much to pave the way for a new era of music to emerge during his time. He was responsible for opening up neoclassical music to the world. It was not hard for Chiaki to understand that neoclassical music wasn't exactly what one would call "conservative," the trait which defined the VPO's repertoire.

_At least it's worth a try_, he resolved.

Without thinking on it further, Chiaki clicked the Send button on the webpage. When he saw that the e-mail was already sent, he heaved a sigh.

_I think I'm in need of a short break from all this_, he thought.

"Mine!" he called loudly after a moment.

"What?" was the equally loud answer.

"Let's watch _Notting Hill_."

"Eh? Are you serious?" asked Mine almost disbelievingly.

"Just put it in the player, idiot," Chiaki snapped, standing up from his desk and walking over the living room, where he planted himself on the couch next to his best friend.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Just to let you know, I have no intention of offending the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra or any of its members and supporters. I've admired that orchestra for such a long time and I don't mean to criticize its traditional principles in any way. I believe that for them to stand firm in their deep-rooted practices is quite admirable. I just thought that this fact would be a very interesting part of this fic's plot.

I chose Prokofiev's _Romeo and Juliet_ Ballet Suite because it was Stresemann's "theme" in the live-action drama. Whenever Stresemann entered a scene or he was up to something, Prokofiev would play in the background. I thought it'd be a reminder to us all of Nodame's beloved Milch Holstein. ;-)

Sorry I'm talking too much.

I look forward to hearing your comments.


	21. Lesson 21

**LESSON**** TWENTY-ONE**

The moment Nodame got into her apartment, she fell on her knees and buried her face in her hands. For the next several minutes, she did nothing but sob and sniffle.

_They shouldn't have taken me along with them to watch that ballet_, she thought furiously, her tears spilling out of her already red eyes uncontrollably. _Nodame shouldn't have agreed to come with them. This is all Nodame's fault._

During her dinner with Tanya and Franck, she had tried with great difficulty to stop herself from crying. She had shown her companions a brave and happy face as they ate the delectable Italian food. But even though Nodame had always been an avid eater, she didn't take much notice of the cuisine that evening. Her mind was too preoccupied with thoughts about the performance they had just recently watched.

The classic ballet _Giselle_ was about a young peasant girl who fell in love with a man named Albrecht, who had disguised himself as a peasant but in truth was a wealthy count. Giselle hoped with all her heart that Albrecht would love her too, but it turned out that he was already engaged to Bathilde, a duke's daughter. When the duke invited Giselle to dance for his daughter, the heartbroken peasant girl danced herself to death with sheer exhaustion. Giselle's spirit then went off into a nearby forest, where the spirits of other virgins dwelt. Albrecht, who was actually also in love with her, followed her ghost into the forest. However, the other spirits dwelling in the forest forced him to dance until he died of exhaustion like his love. Albrecht would have died had not Giselle's spirit strengthened him with her strong love for him. In the end, even though Albrecht was still alive, he and Giselle never ended up together because Giselle was already dead.

Watching the ballet had brought tears to Nodame's eyes not because of its beautiful performance and moving music but because its plot had evoked in her the love she used to have. Or was it still a love that she had, but would only be sustained by a phantom of what it used to be? Was it a love that could only be stirred once again through an illusion, like Giselle's love for Albrecht?

"_Nodame felt like she was watching her own love story being danced on that stage_," she said under her breath, sniffing.

After the last conversation she had with Chiaki in Vienna, she was sure that they would not have any more conversations for a long time. Of course, she knew that they would still be able to see each other because they were after all the Golden Pair. But what worried Nodame was whether their future encounters would still be the same as the ones in the past or not. She remembered (and regretted) how harsh her words might have sounded to Chiaki.

_"I don't need your help on my piano anymore."_

Although until then she was still rather naïve, she knew that Chiaki was someone who reveled in the thought of being one of her biggest influences in music. Nodame herself admitted that her music would probably be a far cry from what it was now without Chiaki. He had inspired her in her music and he had been responsible for molding her into the bravura performer that she had become. She blamed herself for her rashness, for not thinking twice before telling him that it was all right for him to leave her for good.

_Now will he ever come back to me now?_ she thought. _It was always my fault to begin with. Nodame was the one who was so eager to make Senpai love her. But whenever he attempted to show how he felt about her, she always had doubts whether he was being sincere or not. I never believed him._

Hastily wiping the tears off her face with her hands, Nodame climbed onto her bed and wrapped the thick blanket all around her body, wanting to absorb its warmth. She shed a few more silent tears until at last the fatigue was too much for her and she finally succumbed to a deep but otherwise troubled sleep.

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"So what was it you wanted to talk about, my old friend?" asked Claudio Abbado, a well-known elderly Italian conductor who was a good friend of Rolf Königsberg. He and his old Austrian friend were having lunch at a bistro somewhere in downtown Vienna.

"Mr. Chiaki has just sent me an e-mail about his final decision on the repertoire for the September performance," Königsberg replied.

"And?"

"He's remained true to his word to conduct an all-Russian selection," said Königsberg.

"It seems he understands your orchestra's principles very well," Abbado mused with a smile on his face.

"I thought so too at first," put in Königsberg, nodding. "He seemed like the sort who would fit the role of the Vienna Philharmonic's conductor. He looked like the type who had a strong sense of tradition."

"You don't look too happy, though," said Abbado, who noticed the absence of enthusiastic glee on his friend's countenance.

"It seems I was wrong."

"About what?"

"I should have known that somebody like the young and famous Mr. Chiaki has a lot of surprises hiding up his sleeve," Königsberg explained.

Abbado squinted as though he was in a state of confusion.

Sighing heavily, Königsberg said, "He decided on Tchaikovsky, Borodin, and. . . Prokofiev."

"_Prokofiev?!_" asked Abbado loudly. He stared at his companion with a look of suppressed amusement and after a moment, he let out a laugh.

"Well, what do you expect, Rolf?" Abbado continued after he had recovered from laughing. "He's still a youngster compared to other conductors like myself. You don't really expect him to be a conservative performer, do you?"

"But I thought he was. . ." Königsberg began tiredly. "I believed. . . being Japanese and all that. . . his character might have been. . . oh, I don't know." He shrugged glumly and hastily finished his sentence.

"Do you believe this will put the orchestra in a dire situation?" inquired Abbado.

"'_Dire?_'" Königsberg answered in a disbelieving tone. "That's going over the top, my friend. But perhaps it might cause a slight _stir_," he added softly, placing a lot of emphasis on the last word.

Neither of the two men spoke for a few minutes as they returned to their food.

Just when Königsberg was about to take a huge bite of his pasta, he murmured, "He reminds me of _you_, Claudio."

"How so?"

"You were quite the rebel back then too, weren't you?"

Abbado grinned and replied, "I wasn't a rebel. I only had a keen interest in promoting new music. You didn't seem to mind at all, anyway. . . . As to Shinichi Chiaki, I don't believe he's a rebel either. I think he's just a fellow who likes a bit of adventure."

"Hmm. . . perhaps."

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Mine sighed and looked up at the clear morning sky as he stepped out of Chiaki's silver Lexus and onto the path leading to the airport's terminal.

"I can't wait to get home!" he exclaimed breathlessly.

_Thank goodness_, thought Chiaki, following his friend out of the car.

"Thanks for accommodating me," Mine said, placing his hands on Chiaki's shoulders.

_Didn't you accommodate yourself?_ Chiaki asked in his mind wryly.

"It was no problem," replied Chiaki.

"The next time I'll visit you, let's watch _Notting Hill_ again," Mine suggested enthusiastically.

"Idiot, why don't you bring the real _My Best Friend's Wedding_ instead?" asked Chiaki. There was merely a hint of a grin on his lips.

Mine laughed and said, "All right, all right! If you say so. . . . By the way, Chiaki, do you want to know why I wanted us to watch _Notting Hill_?"

"What?" Chiaki asked in wonder. "I thought you brought the wrong DVD by mistake. Didn't you say you wanted to watch _My Best Friend's Wedding_?"

"Ah, well. . ." began Mine, scratching his head. There was a guilty expression on his face.

_So it wasn't a mistake_, Chiaki thought in frustration. _He planned everything. It was really _Notting Hill _after all. . . . But what exactly was he planning?_

"The reason I wanted you to watch _Notting Hill_," Mine explained, "was because you're Julia Roberts in that movie."

"Huh?"

"Aren't you?" continued Mine. "You're really famous and successful, like Julia Roberts, and you're in love with a normal person."

"What are you talking about?" Chiaki asked, frowning.

"Nodame," replied Mine simply. "She's Hugh Grant in _Notting Hill_."

Chiaki could only stare at him dumbfoundedly.

"When I watched that movie, it reminded me of you and Nodame," Mine said. "I hope it helped you remember too. Well, I'll be going now."

Mine flashed his best friend a wide grin before heading off into the gate.

I_'m Julia Roberts?_ thought Chiaki as he watched Mine disappear into the large crowd gathered at the airport's entrance.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I hope this chapter is fine, although it _is_ rather short.

Well, I haven't got much to say at the moment, so consider yourself lucky! Haha.

I appreciate your comments.


	22. Lesson 22

**LESSON**** TWENTY-TWO**

_What was he going on about just then?_ Chiaki thought as he entered his apartment. _I'm Julia Roberts and Nodame's Hugh Grant? What was all that nonsense about fame and normal people and reminders?_

In frustration, Chiaki tried to recall exactly what Mine's parting words to him had been. After a few minutes, the words finally came ringing again in his ears.

_"When I watched that movie, it reminded me of you and Nodame. I hope it helped you remember too."_

_What was I supposed to remember?_ Chiaki asked himself exasperatedly, taking his seat on the leather sofa.

He leaned back on the couch and slowly closed his eyes, thinking deeply of what sort of memories from the past he was supposed to recall. However, his thoughts moved elsewhere when he noticed the absolute silence in his apartment. It was something he had pined for and missed terribly during the past few days. However, Chiaki had to admit to himself that some way or another, the silence was deafening. It made him feel incredibly lonely without anybody loudmouthed intruding him. After several days of hearing loud outbursts of laughter, of putting up with shouts of complaint day in and day out, he found that his apartment seemed unwelcoming and unusually bleak. Though he tried not to admit it, he knew for a fact that he missed the commotion he had been putting up with during the past few days.

"_Dammit_," he hissed crossly, opening his eyes. "When's the noise when you need it?"

Chiaki grabbed the TV's remote control from his coffee table and jabbed the Power button. When the TV turned on, Chiaki saw Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant on the screen. They appeared to be walking in a park late at night.

_What the hell is this?_ thought Chiaki in puzzlement. _Didn't he take the DVD home?_

Suddenly, Mine's words came back to him.

"_When I watched that movie, it reminded me of you and Nodame. I hope it helped you remember too."_

After giving it a moment's thought, Chiaki resolved to do the only reasonable thing he could think of at the moment. He pressed the Rewind button and decided to watch the movie from the very beginning. Within a few minutes, _Notting Hill_'s theme song was ringing in his ears.

"_She may be the face I can't forget_

_A trace of pleasure or regret_

_May be my treasure or the price I have to pay_

_She may be the song that summer sings_

_May be the chill that autumn brings_

_May be a hundred different things_

_Within the measure of a day. . ."_

Chiaki suddenly recalled what Mine had told him the first time they watched that movie together.

_"Listen to that song, Chiaki! It's such a nice song, isn't it?"_

All at once, a thought struck him.

_Could the song be the way to remember whatever it is he wants me to remember?_ Chiaki asked himself, focusing intently on the song's lyrics.

"_She may be the beauty or the beast_

_May be the famine or the feast_

_May turn each day into a heaven or a hell_

_She may be the mirror of my dreams_

_A smile reflected in a stream_

_She may not be what she may seem_

_Inside her shell_

_She who always seems so happy in a crowd_

_Whose eyes can be so private and so proud_

_No one's allowed to see them when they cry_

_She may be the love that cannot hope to last_

_May come to me from shadows of the past_

_But I'll remember 'til the day I die_

_She may be the reason I survive_

_The why and wherefore I'm alive_

_The one I'll care for through the rough and rainy years_

_Me, I'll take her laughter and her cheers_

_And make them all my souvenirs_

_For where she goes I've got to be_

_The meaning of my life is she."_

_So Nodame's. . . "she?"_ thought Chiaki, heaving a tired sigh as he turned off the television.

He stared at the blank TV screen for several moments before standing up and walking over to the kitchen. He remained completely silent as he started making his lunch for that day, which was a French chicken casserole cooked in red wine called _coq au vin_.

While Chiaki was preparing the dish, he tried to remember every single word of the song he'd just heard. Much to his dismay, he had to admit that Mine was absolutely right. Chiaki understood that everything about the song spoke of Nodame. It described her, its words reflected her unpredictable and carefree attitude, and (to further increase Chiaki's bitter disappointment) the song also spoke of his own feelings towards her. He could not fully understand why, but he himself knew that something about the message of the song saddened him deeply.

_Is it because I'm slowly losing her. . . for real?_ he thought as he poured the red wine into a large bowl.

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Chiaki didn't notice that he had already spilled more than half of the contents of the wine bottle onto the kitchen counter.

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"Mademoiselle Nodame!" called the landlady, running out into the apartment's courtyard. "Just one moment, please!"

Nodame, who was about to open the gate to leave, turned around and beheld her landlady dashing towards her with a small and heavily embellished lavender envelope in her hand.

"This is. . . for you," the landlady panted, holding out the envelope to her.

"Eh?" asked Nodame, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Who is it from?"

"I'm not sure. It just arrived in the mailbox this morning. I think it's a wedding invitation."

"Oh, well, thank you!" Nodame replied brightly as she grabbed the envelope from the landlady's hand. "I have to go now," she added, waving at the landlady as she stepped out of the threshold.

"Have fun!" the landlady called after her.

Nodame returned the landlady a huge smile before turning a corner. As soon as she started walking again, she opened the envelope rather carelessly and pulled out a thick piece of lavender-colored paper. In huge elaborate calligraphy were written the words "Mamoru and Saiko."

"_Gyabo!_" she exclaimed in utter surprise. "They invited Nodame to their wedding?!"

Excitement overcoming her, Nodame quickly flipped the paper over and saw a very long list of names written in the same intricate writing. On the very top of the page, Nodame read "The Bridal Entourage." She perused the list carefully for several minutes before coming across a very familiar name.

"'_Seiko Miyoshi, Sponsor_,'" she read aloud in a whisper before letting out a delighted shriek. She continued gleefully, "I'll get to see Mama again! _Gyahan!_"

Just then, Nodame heard the _PuriGorota_ theme song coming from the depths of her bag. She thrust her hand into it and fished for something for about a minute before pulling out her cell phone. She read the words "Tanya" on the LCD before placing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" said Nodame.

"_Nodame!_" was the shrill answer. "_Where the heck are you?!_"

Nodame jumped in shock and uttered something unintelligibly before hanging up.

"Tanya's so uptight lately," she muttered, her mouth forming a pout.

Without wasting another moment, Nodame threw her phone and the wedding invitation into her bag and rushed down the sidewalk as fast as her legs could take her.

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"Yes, of course, I'd be delighted to," said Kiyora on the Uraken's telephone. "Thank you so much for your offer. I'm available next week, so perhaps I'll take a plane to Vienna by then. Goodbye." With that, she placed the phone back on the cradle and leaned back against her chair with a satisfied sigh.

"Who was that on the phone just then?" her husband asked as he came out from the back kitchen of the restaurant.

"Hmm. . ." began Kiyora, who seemed happier than usual and appeared to be keen on a bit of teasing. "Why don't you guess?"

Mine snorted and plopped himself on the chair next to her.

"Kyle Dune?" he asked.

"No," answered Kiyora mischievously.

"Stresemann?"

"No."

"Masumi?"

"No, Ryu," Kiyora said in an almost annoyed tone. "Think harder, come on!"

Her husband let out a groan before saying, "Was it Chiaki?"

"Oh, how was your visit in Chicago, by the way? Did Chiaki-kun budge?" inquired Kiyora, changing the subject completely.

"We'll see," Mine replied. "Right now, it's too early to tell. I _did_ leave him the _Notting Hill_ DVD, so he can watch it again and think about it more carefully. I just hope he found it wherever I left it."

"Where did you leave it, anyway?"

"I _think_ I left it in his DVD player," said Mine, the uncertainty in his voice more than evident. "But Chiaki rarely does anything at home except sleep and take baths before he goes off to work. I wonder if he even turns on his TV. He's such a workaholic."

"Let's just hope fate will work on him," Kiyora said thoughtfully.

"Oi, you didn't answer my question earlier," said Mine in an impatient tone of voice. "Who called you?"

Kiyora made a wide grin before saying, "It was Rolf Könisberg."

"Who the heck is he?"

"He's one of the presiding members of the board of the Vienna Philharmonic," explained Kiyora, who was having a hard time suppressing the delight in her voice. "He called to say that I've been invited to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the orchestra in September!"

"Eh?" Mine asked in amazement. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am!" retorted his wife, hitting him lightly in the ribs. After a moment, she added in a calmer tone, "He said he invited Chiaki-kun to conduct the performance. It turns out it was Chiaki-kun who chose the repertoire and he was also the one who recommended _me_ for the solo!"

"_That's great!_" exclaimed Mine. "I'm so proud of you. . . my red ruby," he added very softly.

"Ryu!" Kiyora reprimanded, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She hit her husband in the ribs again, the second time much harder than the first.

Mine made a mock frown at her and rubbed the part Kiyora had slapped.

Neither of them spoke for a while, until Kiyora whispered suspiciously, "You didn't have anything to do with Chiaki-kun's decision to include me in the performance, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Mine in disbelief. "I didn't even know he was going to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic until now."

Sighing, Kiyora continued, "I'm off to Vienna next week since rehearsals are supposed to start within the third week of August. Do you want to come with me?"

"Not at all," replied Mine bluntly.

Kiyora looked taken aback and stared at her husband incredulously.

"I'm taking care of Seika, after all, and I have to keep the R S Orchestra in order," he hastily explained.

"Trust me, Ryu," began Kiyora, "they're in much better order when their concertmaster is absent."

"Oi, what is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So it's back to Vienna!

The song "She" was originally sung by the French singer Charles Aznavour in 1974, although I do believe that Elvis Costello's 1999 cover version for the film _Notting Hill_ is much more famous.

Your comments are highly appreciated.


	23. Lesson 23

**LESSON**** TWENTY-THREE**

"Who did you say he was again?" Nodame panted as she and Elize rushed up the stairs leading to Elize's main agency office in Berlin.

"It's Simon Rattle," explained Elize hurriedly. "_Sir_ Simon Rattle, actually. He's an English conductor who's currently the principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. He's one of the most famous and distinguished of his profession, so you better be polite."

"Ah, even more famous than Senpai?" asked Nodame curiously, her lips forming a pout.

Elize rolled her eyes as she pushed open the office door.

"Why is there a 'sir' in his name?" Nodame continued while they entered the busy agency headquarters.

"It's an award given by the Queen of England to people who've done outstandingly in their field of work," replied Elize with uncommon patience in her voice.

"So if Nodame does really well in her piano, in the future she might be given that award too?" asked Nodame hopefully.

"You're not English, Nodame."

"But what if I _am_ English?" inquired Nodame. "Will I be called _Sir_ Megumi Noda?"

Elize gave out a rather derisive laugh and said, "For women, it's 'dame.'"

"Eh? How confusing."

The two of them entered a large conference room, where a long rubber wood table was placed at the very center. All around the table were more than twenty chairs placed at equal distances from one another. Nodame spotted a man standing at the other end of the room, silently staring out the window. He was middling tall and had bushy tufts of grey hair.

"Sir Rattle, she's here," Elize announced in a loud voice.

Immediately, the man at the window turned around and strode over to where Elize and Nodame were standing. When he saw Nodame, his face broke out into a smile and he extended both of his hands, which she took rather hesitantly.

"This is Megumi Noda, my client," said Elize, motioning at Nodame. She then turned to Nodame and continued, "Nodame, this is Sir Simon Rattle."

"'Nodame,' did you just say?" Rattle asked with an amused expression on his middle-aged features.

"It's my nickname," explained Nodame, grinning back at him. "Please call me that."

_This man reminds me of someone_, Nodame thought. _But who is it?_

"Oh, of course!" Rattle said enthusiastically, shaking both of her hands with surprising vigor. "Do me a favor and call me 'Simon,'" he added with a wink.

Nodame giggled.

"I'll leave you two, then," said Elize, throwing Nodame a knowing glance before going out of the conference room.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Rattle asked, leading Nodame to one of the chairs placed around the large table.

When both of them were settled on their seats, Rattle continued, "I suppose you're used to invitations since you're quite a big star in our world – "

"Huh?" asked Nodame in her typical naïve manner. "Am I really?"

"Don't be so modest, my dear Nodame," Rattle insisted, though it was obvious that he was very intrigued by her innocence. "Anyway, as I was saying, I believe invitations come normally to you, so I'd like to be very direct about this."

"About what?"

"Would you do a concerto with me?" asked the English conductor. "With the Berlin Philharmonic?"

Astounded at the frankness of the question, Nodame found herself at a loss for words. She remained silent for a few minutes before saying, "Are you serious about your offer, Sir Rattle?"

"It's 'Simon,'" reminded Rattle, chuckling. "And I am absolutely serious."

"But am I good enough. . . to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra?" Nodame said in a whisper. "It's such a famous orchestra and I. . ." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head away.

"Don't think you're as good as you really are?" Rattle suggested, completing her sentence for her. "From what I've heard, you're fantastic!"

"Those are just rumors," Nodame muttered.

To her surprise, Rattle guffawed very loudly. After recovering from laughing, he said, "Tell me, is it in the Japanese character to be self-effacing? I also see it in your dear conductor."

"Who are you talking about?" asked Nodame, pouting in puzzlement. However, she knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Who else, my dear?" Rattle asked. "Shinichi Chiaki."

After a pause, he added, "You two make a formidable pair, if you don't mind me saying."

Nodame didn't know what to say. Just the mention of Chiaki's name brought to her mind some unpleasant thoughts, which she had tried badly to forget.

Seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness Nodame was feeling, Rattle went on, "Nodame, I know for sure that you are a brilliant pianist. I've seen your past performances and I honestly believe you haven't reached your fullest potential just yet, even though you've already achieved so much. Of course you're good enough for the Berlin Philharmonic! But perhaps the Berlin Philharmonic isn't good enough for _you_. . ."

"What?" Nodame asked in disbelief. "Oh, no, please don't get the wrong idea."

"I was at your recital last month, you know," said Rattle, making a change in topic.

"Really?"

"Oh, yes," Rattle continued. "You might know that the birthday boy Kyle Dune was once the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, so he invited me to watch your performance. I thought the Rachmaninoff was the best in the entire selection," he added, smiling.

"Actually, I wasn't able to practice that one very well," said Nodame, blushing. "My mentor ditched me during my last day of preparation."

She felt her cheeks burning even brighter at the thought of the lie she had just told her companion, though it wasn't exactly a complete lie in itself.

"I didn't notice one bit," Rattle said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Nodame recalled what she had told Elize during their last night in Vienna after all the birthday performances had come to a close.

_"Nobody notices. . . . Only Senpai does, you know."_

"You have a real knack at Rachmaninoff, don't you?" said Rattle, interrupting her musings.

"He's one of my favorite composers," Nodame answered.

"Then why not perform his Piano Concerto No. 2 with me and the Berlin Philharmonic next February?" said Rattle, staring intently at Nodame's eyes as though he was expecting an answer from them. "I know you never do Rachmaninoff with any other conductors except Shinichi Chiaki. . . but it doesn't hurt to give it a try, does it?"

Nodame averted her eyes. It was true that she had never performed any of Rachmaninoff's pieces with anybody else but Chiaki. She herself couldn't explain it, but she knew very well that Rachmaninoff had a special place in her heart and in Chiaki's. His music was like their own secret treasure, which they nurtured and kept hidden from everybody else. Rachmaninoff was their means of escape from the outside world, a little fantasy world in which only the two of them were the exclusive occupants. Something inside of Nodame told her that to perform a Rachmaninoff with somebody other than Chiaki would be almost like a taboo. Rachmaninoff was and had always been _their_ composer and _their_ music. To let someone else perform it with her was something unthinkable. She would not allow it, not for her sake and especially not for Chiaki's sake. He _had_ promised her that they would perform that concerto together the following year, after all.

Now resolute in her decision, Nodame said in a final tone, "Let's do Gershwin's _Rhapsody in Blue_."

"Gershwin, eh?" murmured Rattle, who didn't bear the disappointed look which Nodame had expected to appear on his face. "He's not too bad either. And that piece suits both of us, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I'm rather eccentric," Rattle explained in a voice that showed that he wasn't the least bit embarrassed. "Your manager has told me you're not quite so different."

Nodame couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a jolly piece that matches both of our feverishly enthusiastic personalities, don't you think?" said Rattle, grinning widely.

"Eh. . . . I've never really thought about it that way," Nodame put in.

After a few minutes of silence, Rattle asked, "Did you just agree to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic next year?"

"Yes, I guess so," said Nodame, "if it's okay. . ."

"It's more than okay," Rattle assured her. "You'll do brilliantly. I'm sure of it."

Nodame flashed him a grateful smile.

_Now, who is that person I was thinking about earlier?_ she thought. _I just can't seem to remember. . ._

"_Hagya!_" Nodame shrieked suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Rattle in wonder.

"You're. . . Beethoven!"

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"_Herr Chiaki! Herr Chiaki!_"

Chiaki immediately stopped in his tracks just as he was about to go out of Vienna's Wien-Schwechat Airport and find himself a taxi. He looked around at the hundreds of people coming in and out of the airport, trying to find the owner of the unrecognizable voice that spoke his name.

"Herr Chiaki!" the voice repeated. "Is that you, Herr Chiaki?"

Knowing that there were far too many people all around him, Chiaki was certain that he would never be able to spot whoever was calling him. That was why he decided to stay rooted on the spot and wait for whoever it was to approach him. Within a moment, somebody took a firm hold on his arm. Chiaki turned around to see who it was.

"Are you Herr Chiaki?" asked the young man in front of him. The man was incredibly lanky and seemed barely the age of 20. He was wearing what appeared to be the uniform of a chauffeur and he was holding a small white cardboard placard with the words "Shinichi Chiaki" printed on its surface.

Chiaki did not reply and merely stared at the man's countenance.

_So Königsberg even sent a driver?_ he thought, amused.

Seeing that he would not get an answer, the chauffeur held up the placard in front of Chiaki so that he would clearly see what was written on it.

"Are you Shinichi Chiaki?" the chauffeur asked again.

"Yes," replied Chiaki simply.

"Ah, good," said the chauffeur in a relieved tone. "I almost thought I wouldn't find you. There are so many people arriving in Vienna lately. I wonder why they didn't come in during the summer months. . . . Anyway, Herr Chiaki, I'm supposed to drive you to the Musikvereinssaal. That is, the Vienna Philharmonic's concert hall."

"Can't I go home first?" Chiaki inquired with a disbelieving expression. "My family has a house near the University of Vienna – "

"It's Herr Königsberg's orders," interrupted the chauffeur. "He says he wants you to meet the orchestra members. Please, Herr Chiaki, I don't think he'll say 'no,'" he added almost pleadingly.

Chiaki sighed heavily.

_That damn Königsberg_, he thought irately. _Always too excited about things._

"All right," he said, nodding at the chauffeur.

"Great!" the chauffeur exclaimed, taking Chiaki's suitcase from him and leading him out of the airport's arrival gate.

They walked a short distance and stopped right next to a small but sophisticated black BMW. After the chauffeur opened the door to the passenger seat for Chiaki, he opened the car's trunk and carefully placed the suitcase in it.

Once the chauffeur got in and started the engine, he turned his head towards Chiaki and extended his hand.

"My name's Napoleon, Herr Chiaki," he said with a grin.

Chiaki shook his hand and made a small smile back.

_Napoleon?_ he thought in wonder. _He's a bit too tall for that name._

"I know the name doesn't suit me at all," Napoleon put in as he started driving out of the airport.

Chiaki's eyes widened and he turned away to face the window without saying anything more for the rest of the trip.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is a rather short chapter, but the conversations were pretty long anyway. I hope all the characters' little chitchats made up for my lack of ideas. ;-)

Sir Simon Rattle is a living person. He is a well-respected English conductor and arguably the best in the modern classical music scene. He is the current principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and he replaced Claudio Abbado (does the name sound familiar?) when the Italian conductor resigned from the post in 2002. Rattle is famous for his energetic and exhilarating performances and he is also known for conducting Rachmaninoff's works. I think his personality and his physical appearance are quite similar to Beethoven's.

I got the idea of the character Napoleon from Jon Heder's performance as the unlikely protagonist in the film _Napoleon Dynamite_.

Sorry for the mouth.

Your comments are welcome, as always.


	24. Lesson 24

**LESSON TWENTY-FOUR**

"Shinichi-sama!" the housekeeper exclaimed upon seeing Chiaki stagger into his summer house's parlor, pulling behind him a small black suitcase. "You're back so soon!"

'_Back so soon,'_ he thought furiously, throwing a grimace at the excited housekeeper. _Dammit, that Königsberg will pay for this._

Chiaki dropped onto the chair nearest the front door and heaved an exhausted sigh.

"What brings you to Vienna?" asked the housekeeper.

After a long moment of absolute silence, Chiaki answered in an icy tone, "I'm conducting the Vienna Philharmonic next month."

"Is that so?" the housekeeper said, beaming at him. "Imagine that, Shinichi-sama's performing with one of the greatest orchestras in the entire world! You do your best now," she added encouragingly before going off to another room.

Chiaki weakly stretched himself, though it did not do anything to take away the fatigue from his body. True enough, the moment Napoleon dropped off Chiaki at the Musikvereinssaal, he was met by a much too enthusiastic Königsberg who literally dragged him into the concert hall to meet the members of the Vienna Philharmonic. For about thirty minutes, Chiaki was introduced to more than seventy orchestra members, whose names he could not remember at all and whose faces seemed but mere blurs in his memory. He felt that everything had happened so fast and so wildly and that he had been involuntarily thrown into a vortex of confusion and chaos.

_That stupid old geezer_, thought Chiaki savagely. _He didn't even consider giving me at least a few hours to get rid of my jet lag._

He closed his eyes and tried to calm the anger threatening to burst inside of him. It seemed to work because after several minutes, he murmured to himself, "Right, then! I'll start unpacking my suitcase upstairs. Then afterwards, I'll begin looking through the scores."

Chiaki stood up and was about to carry his suitcase up the stairs when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

_Could it be Nodame?_ he thought, his heart beating eagerly with hope.

He immediately set down his suitcase on the first step and pulled out his phone, reading the name on the LCD screen. His was exceedingly disappointed when he read the name "Barenboim."

_I might as well answer his call_, he decided as he pressed the Answer button.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Have you gotten to Vienna without any complications, Shinichi?" asked the voice on the other end.

"Of course, why ever not?" Chiaki said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, well. . ." began Barenboim in an uncomfortable voice. "Megumi has mentioned a few words about. . . a certain problem you had. . . a long time ago. It was a _long_ time ago, anyway. . . ."

_She's told him about my phobia of flying?_ thought Chiaki in disbelief. _That idiot._

"Don't worry," Barenboim continued, losing the awkwardness in his tone of voice. "I'll be sure never to tell anyone. It's just that when I heard about your problem with airplanes, I wanted to make sure you were fine."

"There was no need to worry about me," said Chiaki curtly. "I've gotten over that ages ago."

"So have you met with Rolf again?" Barenboim asked, abruptly changing the subject. "Ah, perhaps not," he added as though he were talking more to himself, "since you've only just arrived – "

"He had his driver pick me up at the airport," interrupted Chiaki. "He said he wanted me to get acquainted with the orchestra members, so I was taken to the VPO's concert hall."

"Right from the airport?" Barenboim asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

Chiaki grunted in answer.

To his complete amazement, he heard the Chicago Symphony's music director laugh loudly.

_What the hell is so funny?_ Chiaki thought, starting to lose his patience.

"My, my!" said Barenboim gleefully. "That's very unlike him! He seems really excited around you, Shinichi."

"Tell me about it," Chiaki sighed.

"He's always been one of your big fans from the start. He thinks you're very different."

"Because I'm Asian?" asked Chiaki tiredly.

"Hmm. . ." began Barenboim. "Maybe that has something to do with it. But that's not the only reason why he's crazy about you. Why don't you find out for yourself while you're there? You _are_ going to be around him all the time for the next few weeks."

_That's what I hate about this particular engagement_, Chiaki thought.

"Actually, I thought he'd be one of Nodame's admirers," he admitted.

"So did I," Barenboim put in. "Throughout all the years I've known Rolf, he was always the sort who took a fancy to extraordinary women. Extraordinary pianists in particular," he added in a whisper.

_Really?_ thought Chiaki, keeping quiet although his curiosity was awakened.

Barenboim took his silence as a signal to go on and the music director continued, "Do you know the pianist Martha Argerich?"

"She was the judge at the Chopin Piano Competition who resigned because her favorite contestant didn't win, right?"

"She _is_ known for that, I'm afraid," said Barenboim sympathetically, "but she reminds me of Megumi. They are very similar. They both have exceptional technique and they are equally passionate performers."

_I don't think Martha Argerich was a _hentai_, though_, Chiaki said in his mind, finding himself smirking.

"So what has Martha Argerich got to do with Königsberg?" he asked.

"Rolf was a very big fan of hers," answered Barenboim. "Whenever she performed in Vienna, he was always the first to find out. And if she had other performances elsewhere, he never failed to attend them. He was a very loyal supporter. He used to call her an 'enchantress' too."

"Why do you say 'used to?'"

"I say that because _Megumi_ is the 'enchantress' now," Barenboim said, chuckling. "However, I do believe he's much more intrigued by you."

Chiaki sighed.

"Shinichi, why do you call her 'Nodame?'" asked Barenboim all of a sudden.

"Huh?"

"Ever since I met you, you had always referred to her as 'Nodame.' Does it have a special meaning in Japanese?"

"Not at all," Chiaki replied. "It's just a combination of her last name and the first syllable of her first name. Even back when we were still students, almost everybody called her that."

"How creative!" exclaimed Barenboim. "But I honestly thought it was a special type of nickname you gave her. . ."

_Has she told him about our past as well?_ Chiaki thought, noticing Barenboim's sudden interest in his association with Nodame.

"You've been friends with her for a long time, haven't you?" Barenboim continued.

"Er, well, sort of," said Chiaki lamely.

_She _has _told him. Or, at least, she probably "mentioned a word" about it. Honestly, that idiot. . . . She just can't keep her mouth shut._

Barenboim didn't seem convinced by his answer because he did not speak right away. When he finally spoke, he said rather unexpectedly, "Well, I better hang up now. Get some sleep, Shinichi. I know you need it."

"Thanks," answered Chiaki. _I'm glad somebody thinks so_, he added to himself.

"Good night to you."

"Good night, Mr. Barenboim."

"Don't be so polite."

"All right, Daniel."

Chiaki heard another laugh from the other end before Barenboim finally hang up.

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It was already half past 11 o'clock in the evening when Chiaki was almost close to finishing unpacking his suitcase and placing his clothes in the large antique wardrobe in his bedroom. He had always been an efficient person and he never wasted any time when it came to cleaning up, but on that particular night he took a little longer than usual to organize his belongings. This was partly due to the fact that the inside of his wardrobe was thick with cobwebs and layers of dust, which he carefully got rid of in a matter of minutes. However, what really took up much of Chiaki's unpacking time was his discovery of several rather useless (albeit interesting) pieces of paper stowed in one of the wardrobe's drawers. Most of the papers were ripped pages of music scores and hastily scribbled notes. There were also several receipts from the nearby grocery store.

There was one particular receipt which caught his eye, though. Its edges were crumpled and the small text printed on it was nearly faded away because of the many crinkles on the paper. Chiaki gazed at the words written on the top of the receipt and read "Rotwald Jewelry Pawnshop." In an instant, he remembered how he ended up getting that receipt in the first place. He could clearly recall when he entered that pawnshop nearly a year before. It was Christmas at that time and he had been aimlessly walking around the city, observing the people all around him rushing all over the place with their arms laden with newly-bought Christmas presents.

He had gone to Vienna that time because he was supposed to meet his cousins Tomohiko and Yuiko, who had spent the winter holidays in the Austrian capital. On that particular Christmas night, none of them had any plans to go out and enjoy the holiday festivities so Chiaki decided to step out of their house for a while and take a stroll around the place.

Though he had never told anybody, Chiaki was extremely troubled during that Christmas night. He couldn't thoroughly explain why he was anxious, although he blamed it on something which he had been carrying around with him during the past few years. That "something" was in fact a very small object which he had always kept hidden inside his pocket: a ring. It was a very simply designed piece of jewelry, a tiny rose-colored diamond set on a thin gold band. It wasn't the most expensive of rings and it definitely didn't seem to be anything attention-worthy. Nonetheless, Chiaki knew that it would be something treasured by its recipient.

_That is, if there _was_ a recipient_, he thought.

The truth was Chiaki had never given the ring to anyone. He had sincerely wished to give it to a certain person, but the many issues and doubts inside of him stopped him from doing so. He had hoped that it would be an engagement ring. _Their_ engagement ring, actually.

Chiaki had found that ring in Japan. In fact, he discovered the existence of that ring in the same jewelry shop where he had bought Nodame's diamond necklace all those years ago. It was one of the less expensive items in the store and certainly not the grandest piece on sale. But Chiaki knew that he didn't need to buy the most expensive ring with the largest diamond. He understood that that wasn't what Nodame wanted. And when he had finally bought the ring which he knew she would like, he was so sure that Nodame was going to be thrilled when he gave it to her. But that day never came.

On that Christmas evening, Chiaki realized that he had been holding on to that ring for more than eight years already. Somehow he felt all right with the idea that he would be keeping it forever, but it was a burden to him and he knew that holding on to it would only cause him more pain. He was itching to find a way to let it go, but he knew full well that he couldn't just pull it out of his pocket and throw it on the sidewalk. That was why it seemed like hope had arrived when Chiaki spotted a small pawnshop while he was walking around Vienna.

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"_Oh, Merry Christmas, my good man!" exclaimed the pawnshop dealer when he saw Chiaki coming into his store. "What brings you here on this beautiful Christmas night?"_

_After hesitating a bit, Chiaki replied, "I was hoping to pawn something."_

"_Let me see it, then," the dealer said, holding out his palm to Chiaki._

_Chiaki thrust his hand into his deep coat pocket and pulled out a small gold ring, which he placed in the dealer's hand._

_The dealer eyed the ring closely under a magnifying glass for a few minutes before saying, "You won't be getting much out of this one, you know. The value isn't that high and the diamond _is _rather small."_

"_It doesn't matter," said Chiaki simply. "I just want you to keep it."_

"_Our maturation period is three months," the dealer explained. "If you don't pay the amount by the end of the allotted time, we're going to put the ring on sale."_

"_I have no intention of getting it back."_

"_Is that so?" asked the dealer, staring at Chiaki's face with a look of curiosity. "I wonder what it is that you hate so much about this ring that you never want to see it again. . ."_

_Chiaki averted his eyes and remained silent._

"_Did she die?" the dealer asked suddenly._

"_Huh?"_

"_Your fiancée," said the dealer. "Did she die?"_

_Chiaki opened his mouth to speak, but found that he was rather tongue-tied._

"_She must have been a beautiful lady," the dealer continued. "A simple but charming woman, wasn't she?"_

_Still, Chiaki couldn't find any words to say._

_The dealer gazed at Chiaki in silence for a few moments before he started rummaging through one of his desk drawers. In about a minute, he pulled out several Euro notes._

"_Here you go," he said, holding out the notes to his customer. "That's 165 Euros. If the gold was thicker or the diamond was bigger, maybe you would've exchanged it for a higher price. But if it's really all for the sake of the memory of your fiancée, it shouldn't really matter that much anymore. Please accept my condolences," he added sympathetically._

"_Thank you," answered Chiaki who tried to hide the look of bewilderment on his face as he took the money._

_In a moment, the dealer gave Chiaki a receipt and explained, "If you _do _want to get the ring back, just come back to the shop and show me that receipt. Oh, bring the money too. Don't think you're getting it back for free."_

_The dealer winked and flashed his customer a small grin._

_Chiaki nodded at him and muttered something which sounded like "Merry Christmas" before he stepped out of the shop into the cold winter air. The moment he felt a sharp gust of wind hit his face as he closed the pawnshop's door behind him, he heaved a sigh._

Finally, _he thought, _it's out of my hands.

"_Chiaki! Is that really you?!"_

_Chiaki had no time to see who had spoken because all of a sudden he was trapped in a tight hug and all he could see was a great mass of blond hair before his eyes. After what seemed like several long minutes, the speaker released Chiaki from his arms._

"_Mine," said Chiaki in a voice which sounded like merely a breath once he was able to recognize the person in front of him._

"_You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Mine exclaimed._

Idiot, I do_, Chiaki thought, smirking._

_Even though only the lamppost and the Christmas lights adorning the surrounding buildings illuminated that dark street, Chiaki could clearly see a huge grin of utter delight on his best friend's lips._

"_What are you doing in Vienna?" asked Mine. "On Christmas?" he added in an almost incredulous tone._

_Chiaki hesitated before replying, "I was just strolling around."_

"_Ah. . . . So what were you doing in a pawnshop?"_

Dammit, _thought Chiaki. _He saw me coming out of the shop.

"_I was going to buy something but I forgot my cards, so I decided to go to the pawnshop instead," he said quickly._

"_But you won't get back whatever it is you pawned unless you return to Vienna," Mine pointed out._

"_Yes, well. . ." began Chiaki, trying to think of something else to talk about. "What brings _you _to Vienna? Does Kiyora have a concert or something?"_

"_Yeah, she had a recital earlier today. It finished about an hour ago. She and Seika went home already, but I wanted to take a stroll around the city, so I left them there."_

_All Chiaki did was nod._

"_Hey, why don't you have lunch with us tomorrow?" Mine suggested. "How long will you be staying in Vienna?"_

"_No, I. . . have things to do. . . with my family," murmured Chiaki lamely._

"_Oh," said Mine in a voice that failed to hide his disappointment._

"_Say 'hello' to your wife and daughter for me," Chiaki said as he turned to leave._

"_What? You're leaving already?"_

_Chiaki made a small smile at his friend and said, "I'm really glad to see you too" before he walked away. He did not look back._

_As he turned a street corner, he glanced down at his hand which was holding on tightly to the receipt. During his conversation with Mine, he had absentmindedly crushed it into a tiny paper ball. He tried to flatten it out, but he could not make it return to the way it looked when he first got it._

_Sighing, he asked himself, _Shouldn't I just throw it away? I'm not returning for the ring anyway.

_However, something inside of him told him that he should hold on to the receipt. After a moment's thought, he folded the piece of paper and placed it in his coat's inner pocket._

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_What in the world made me keep this receipt?_ Chiaki asked himself in wonder as he gazed at the crumpled paper in his hand.

Just then, he heard his phone ringing from a little way off. He looked around the room for a few seconds until he spotted it lying underneath the thick sheets covering his bed. When he read the name on the LCD, he groaned.

"_Könisgberg_," he hissed furiously. _Damn that old fool_, he added in his mind.

He rolled his eyes and tossed his phone back onto the bed, returning to unpacking the last of the contents of his suitcase. By that time, the ringing had already stopped. However, within a few moments, his phone started ringing again.

_When will he stop?!_ thought Chiaki, determinedly ignoring the call as he neatly placed a pair of pants in one of the drawers.

After several more minutes, he stowed his empty suitcase underneath his large bed. He heaved a tired sigh before plopping himself onto the soft and comfortable mattress.

_Why did he want to contact me so badly?_ he thought when he saw his phone lying a few inches away from his face. He took it and glanced at the screen, reading the words "2 Missed Calls."

Making another sigh, he pressed the View button and was surprised to see two different names in the Missed Calls list. The first name he read on the list was "Königsberg" and the second name was –

"'_Nodame!'_" Chiaki said almost breathlessly, immediately sitting up on the bed.

His heart beating faster, he quickly pressed the Redial button and placed the phone to his ear. He felt as though he had been listening to the dial tone for hours until a female voice spoke. Disappointment gripped his being when he realized that it wasn't Nodame's voice.

_"The number you have dialed is currently unattended or out of coverage area. Please try again later._"

_Dammit_, he thought, falling back onto the bed in a lying position. _Where on earth could she be that her phone would be 'out of coverage area?'_ _I hope she isn't in a jungle. That idiot._

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"_Gyabo_, he isn't answering my calls," Nodame muttered in a defeated tone. "Oh, well. . . . Nodame will just turn off her phone." With that, she pressed the Off button on her phone and stuffed it into her bag.

Nodame jutted out her lips and slumped her shoulders as she looked around at the other customers seated inside McDonald's. Most of them appeared to be tourists, although a few were obviously locals who just seemed to have traveled a long way. Like Nodame, they had just arrived in London via the Eurostar train and decided to take a bite at the McDonald's branch situated just a short distance away from Waterloo Station.

In a moment, the chair opposite Nodame's was taken by Oliver, who handed her a hamburger and a plastic cup filled with Coke.

Nodame looked up at him and asked, "Where are the French fries?"

Oliver was going to say something but Elize, who sat down next to him, cut in and said, "It's already very late so you shouldn't eat too much."

Her client assumed a pitiful expression on her face, which didn't convince Elize at all. Knowing Elize wouldn't budge, Nodame pulled off the hamburger wrapper and started eating rather grumpily.

"You're going to meet with the London Symphony members at the Barbican Centre tomorrow afternoon," continued Elize after a few minutes. "The orchestra's chairpersons will also be there, which means you have to do a lot of planning and talking. That's why you better get a good night's rest."

Nodame nodded, but did not say anything as she continued gobbling down her food.

"When we get to the hotel, take a quick shower then it's off to bed with you," Elize said rather sternly.

"'Shower?'" asked Nodame in puzzlement, staring at her manager. She momentarily set down the hamburger as she pouted at Elize with a confused look on her face.

Elize stared back at her.

"I'll take a bath tomorrow morning," Nodame said.

"Is that a promise?"

Nodame shrugged and turned her eyes away, taking up the hamburger again.

"You _have_ to take a bath!" said Elize, an oddly desperate ring in her voice.

To her complete astonishment, Nodame let out a loud childish laugh.

"Nodame isn't going to try to make a good impression," said Nodame simply, making a small grin. "Nodame is just going to be herself."

"Well, I don't want Nodame to behave like herself," Elize argued. She added in a whisper, "Especially not when – "

"When Jean will be there too?" interrupted Nodame in a mischievous tone. She giggled again.

Her manager couldn't seem to find anything to say.

"Maybe _you_ should be the one trying to make a good impression," Nodame continued.

"You're going to take a bath tomorrow morning," said Elize, quickly going back to their previous topic. "And don't you dare make any excuses if you don't," she added darkly.

"_Mukya_, all right, then! I was supposed to take a bath tomorrow anyway."

"Huh?" Elize asked.

"I haven't taken a shower since Sunday," replied Nodame sheepishly.

"But today is Sunday," Oliver unexpectedly pointed out.

Nodame merely giggled in answer, her cheeks turning pink.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** What a long chapter! I hope the Vienna bits weren't as boring as I thought they were.

Of course, I do not own McDonald's or Coca-Cola, although I do love them both.

_Finally_, vivace10 gets the long-awaited answer to her question about the pawnshop! Your guess was right all along, of course, but I really didn't want to give away any spoilers! Can you believe that? I actually succeeded in keeping my mouth shut about the engagement ring! Haha, I am terribly proud of myself. ;-)

Tell me what you think!


	25. Lesson 25

**LESSON TWENTY-FIVE**

"I understand that you have worked with Mr. Chiaki before, isn't that right?" asked Königsberg.

"Yes, but that was back when we were still students," Kiyora replied. "He hasn't changed much, though, except that he seems a bit more _tolerant_ now," she added, laughing softly as she took a bite of pasta.

Kiyora was having a very late lunch with Königsberg at one of his favorite restaurants in Vienna. That particular day, she had been practicing her violin concerto with Chiaki and the VPO. The rehearsal started, under Chiaki's orders, at exactly 7 o'clock in the morning and ended at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. As was the custom whenever Chiaki conducted any orchestra, they did not have any breaks. They had already been practicing for well over a month and it was already the week before the actual performance. By that time, the orchestra had already gotten used to Chiaki's demanding and somewhat oppressive way of administering the orchestra. However, Kiyora herself couldn't help but admit that at times she really had a difficult time trying to keep up with Chiaki's demands. She knew that their day-long rehearsals would definitely be worthwhile, but to say that she wasn't at all tired was a downright lie. That was why she was incredibly gratified when Königsberg invited her to have lunch with him. It was the perfect way for her to escape her daily routine of practicing and polishing her piece.

"'More tolerant?'" Königsberg said, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Kiyora paused before answering, "Well, back during our university days, he was a bit of a tyrant."

His eyes widening with curiosity, Königsberg pressed, "Do tell me about that."

"He used to yell at us if we didn't play the way he wanted us to. Back then, he never smiled when he was conducting and he rarely ever complimented us if we did well. He was always serious and particularly overwhelming."

"Isn't that the Shinichi Chiaki I see now?" asked Königsberg after a few moments' hesitation. He made a knowing smile at his companion.

Kiyora smiled back and continued, "I told you he hasn't changed much. But he _has_ become considerably more patient. Just think of it as Hitler turning into Stalin."

"Ah, but didn't Stalin kill more people than Hitler?" Königsberg pointed out.

"I really don't know much about dictators," murmured Kiyora, her cheeks turning somewhat pink. After several minutes of silence, she added, "He's not that bad. Chiaki-kun is a good person. One of the kindest people I've ever met, actually. He may be a bit harsh and overbearing, but when you look past all that, you'll realize that he is such a caring person."

"I see," said Königsberg, who seemed to be in deep thought.

"I think the reason why he's being so demanding when it comes to the orchestra," Kiyora said, "is because he wants to bring out the best in us."

"Doesn't that make him a great conductor?"

"Definitely," agreed Kiyora, nodding.

Sighing, the old man said, "That's why I was so taken to Mr. Chiaki in the first place."

"Eh?"

"My dear, it's not everyday you meet a morally upright Adolf Hitler," said Königsberg.

"Joseph Stalin," Kiyora corrected him.

"Yes, of course," said the old man with a satisfied smile on his lips.

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"Shinichi-sama!" called the housekeeper as Chiaki entered the living room. "You're just in time!"

Chiaki, who was in a fairly good mood that day, smiled and asked, "Why, have you just finished making lunch?"

"Oh, of course," the housekeeper answered. "I made pot roastfor you. It's on the kitchen counter. But that's not what I was talking about."

"Huh?" asked Chiaki in wonder.

"Nodame-san will be appearing on the _Classic Life_ program for an interview at 4:30. You still have a few minutes before it starts."

"Ah. . ." Chiaki said, unsure how he would react.

"I'll turn on the TV in the kitchen, then?" asked the housekeeper. "I'll get your food ready too so you can watch it while you eat."

Chiaki nodded before heading up the stairs to leave his bag in his room. As he went back down, he heard the _Classic Life_ jingle coming from inside the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, he sat down on one of the stools beside the counter and glanced for a split second at the television set just a few feet away from him before occupying himself with his meal.

"Just look at her!" the housekeeper gasped, her eyes glued to the TV. "Nodame-san really is getting prettier."

_Are you kidding me?_ thought Chiaki disbelievingly, trying his best to resist looking at the TV screen.

Just then, he heard Nodame's familiar high-pitched laugh. Chiaki immediately jerked his head up and fixed his eyes on the TV. What he saw on its screen took his breath away.

_Is this. . . Nodame?_ he thought, gaping at the woman on the television.

Nodame's physical appearance had indeed improved. For one thing, it appeared as though she had taken the time to comb her normally disheveled hair. Apart from that, her cheeks seemed to be glowing with delight and her eyes were full of enthusiasm. Her incredibly short apple green-colored dress made of wool, though it succeeded in completely covering her upper torso, did little to hide her slender and seductive-looking legs.

Chiaki gulped nervously and turned his head away from the TV screen. He felt the desires which had been slumbering for several weeks inside of him slowly waking up again.

_Dammit_, he thought furiously. _What is the matter with that idiot? Why is she wearing that outfit? Doesn't she know that millions of people could be watching her right now?_

Inwardly, Chiaki was extremely agitated. This was not only because he was struggling to fight off his newly-awakened yearning for her again but because he was furious that everybody else in the world who was watching her at that moment was finally seeing a part of Noda Megumi which only Chiaki had been previously given the honor of feasting his eyes on.

_I'm the only person she's ever allowed to see that much of her,_ thought Chiaki. After a moment, he added fearfully, _Aren't I?_

"Are you all right, Shinichi-sama?" asked the housekeeper all of a sudden.

"What?"

"You seem worried," the housekeeper continued, eyeing her master with concern.

Before Chiaki could answer, the housekeeper exclaimed, "Oh, look! She's with that friend of yours! That handsome French conductor you met during the Platini Competition!"

_Jean?_ Chiaki thought, suddenly focusing his eyes on the TV again. _What's he doing with her?_

The housekeeper seemed to read his thoughts because she said, "Didn't you know, Shinichi-sama? She's having a tour all around England next month and Jean Donnadieu will be performing with her as the conductor."

_Why don't I know any of this?_ he thought bitterly.

"So what led the two of you to do this tour together?" Chiaki heard the interviewer ask.

"Both of our managers met up several months ago and planned a tour for Megumi and me," replied Jean. "I've never had the privilege of performing with her, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to get the two of us together on the same stage."

"Ms. Noda," began the interview, turning to Nodame, "you've performed with many other conductors before. What do you expect will be the outcome of your partnership with Mr. Donnadieu?"

"I think we'll be great together!" Nodame replied in a very gleeful voice. "Jean and I have similar personalities and the music we play is very much alike. We're both very fond of bright and cheerful pieces."

"With the start of this new association, do you think that the two of you will be labeled a similar name like the Golden Pair?" the interviewer continued.

Chiaki froze.

It seemed as though Jean wasn't too keen on answering the question because he just smiled at the interviewer and turned his eyes away. Nodame opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again and seemed to be thinking hard of something.

After a long pause, Nodame answered, "This is only the first time I'm performing with Jean, so it'll be a long while before we see if this partnership will be a successful one."

"Ms. Noda, is it true that the Golden Pair is thinking of breaking up and pursuing different careers?" asked the interviewer.

"Oh my goodness!" gasped the housekeeper, glancing at Chiaki. "Is this true?"

Chiaki didn't answer and kept his eyes on the television. He saw Jean, who failed to hide his shock at the question, turn to look at Nodame.

This time, Nodame replied abruptly, "Shinichi and I have always had individual careers. Right now, we don't have any plans to do any concerts together for a while but we've never thought about breaking up the Golden Pair. My partnership with him has been a huge part of my career and my life and I feel that ending it is just – I don't even want to think about it."

"_Nodame. . ._" Chiaki said under his breath. He felt his eyes burning and pretended to yawn so the housekeeper wouldn't notice the tears forming in his eyes.

_Shinichi, you idiot_, he said to himself. _Why are crying?_

"So, Mr. Donnadieu, were you in charge of choosing the repertoire for the performances?" the interviewer went on.

"It was something Megumi and I agreed on," replied Jean, looking as though he had lost his air of awkwardness. "We did a lot of planning with the orchestras and many people advised us on our decision to choose the music for our concerts."

"Do you already have the entire programme planned?"

"Yes, we will be performing several concertos by Mozart and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G," Jean said. He added with an amused look on his face, "Actually, I suggested that we'd do an all-Mozart programme, but Megumi is such a big fan of Ravel and this _is_ a tour which will showcase her playing after all, so I had to agree with her."

The interviewer chuckled and continued, "After this tour, do you have other performances planned before the year ends?"

"I'll be returning to my post with the Wiltord Orchestra in Prague," said Jean.

"What about you, Ms. Noda?"

"I'm going to have a repeat performance with the Hong Kong Symphony before Christmas," Nodame answered. "That's going to be my last concert this year. But I'll be very busy next year too!" she added with a mischievous grin.

"Would you care to reveal your plans for next year?" asked the interviewer, smiling back at her.

"Hmm. . . just wait and see," said Nodame before giggling.

"Shinichi-sama, are you performing with Nodame-san next year?" the housekeeper asked.

Chiaki turned to her and replied in his typical nonchalant manner, "Probably."

_I have to_, he thought. _Otherwise, she'll definitely kill me._

"You fit so well with Nodame-san," continued the housekeeper in a resigned tone as she watched Chiaki resume his meal.

"What do you mean?" asked Chiaki.

"You're both so secretive," the housekeeper replied, turning off the television.

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"Thank you so much for agreeing to do the interview with us on such short notice!" said the interviewer to Nodame and Jean as soon as they wrapped up the _Classic Life _program.

"It was no problem," Jean said assuringly. "We've almost perfected the pieces, anyway."

The interviewer smiled and turned around to head off somewhere else, but then he suddenly looked back at them and said, "Do stay for a little while. We have snacks prepared for you."

"_Mukya!_" shrieked Nodame excitedly. "There are snacks?!"

"Of course," the interviewer said. "Just follow me."

Nodame and Jean followed the interviewer out of the _Classic Life_ set and down a long plain-looking corridor. When they reached the end of the hallway, they entered a room where most of the program's staff were crowded around a table laden with all sorts of finger foods. There were several chairs placed off to the side and on one of them sat Jean's wife Yuko, who was wearing her favorite black tailored blazer and trousers.

Upon seeing her husband, Yuko stood up at once and went over to them.

"Did you have fun?" she asked, pecking Jean lightly on the cheek.

Jean answered with a sigh.

"Why don't you have a bite before we go back to the hotel?" Yuko suggested, motioning at the table filled with snacks. "The clubhouse sandwiches are really tasty," she added, winking at Nodame.

"Eh?" asked Nodame, her eyes widening. She was about to run towards the table and snatch one of the sandwiches, but Yuko grabbed her arm all of a sudden.

"What's wrong, Yuko-san?" Nodame asked, her lips forming a pout.

"Your bodyguard's waiting for you," whispered Yuko, nodding in the direction of the door.

Nodame turned around and saw Oliver standing at the doorway, his arms folded.

"_Gyabo_. . ." Nodame murmured, turning to look at Yuko again. "Nodame wanted to get some sandwiches first."

"What's wrong?" asked Yuko. "Can't you eat in front of your bodyguard?"

Nodame hesitated before replying in a low tone, "He's been spying on me lately."

"'Spying?'" Jean asked, puzzled.

Yuko let out a shrill laugh and said, "What are you talking about, Nodame? Why would he be spying on you?"

"I don't know," answered Nodame, her mouth protruding even more. "He's just always been keeping an eye on what I'm eating. It's very uncomfortable, especially since I love to eat."

"Maybe he doesn't want you to get fat," Yuko suggested teasingly.

"Nodame isn't fat!" retorted Nodame. With that, she strode over to the table and grabbed two sandwiches.

"You shouldn't be eating too much," a deep male voice said.

"_Hagya!_" Nodame gasped, realizing that Oliver was already standing next to her beside the snack table. She continued peevishly, "What's wrong with me eating? Eating is my pastime!"

Nodame stuck her tongue out at Oliver before biting into one of her sandwiches. However, the moment she started chewing her food, she dropped the sandwiches to the floor and placed her hand over her mouth.

"What's the matter?" asked Yuko, who quickly ran over to Nodame. There was an expression of concern on her face.

Nodame shook her head, though it seemed like she was going to vomit.

"Don't you like tuna?" Yuko continued, placing her hand on Nodame's shoulder.

At that moment, Nodame rushed out of the door and disappeared from their sight.

"Oliver, doesn't Nodame eat tuna?" asked Yuko, looking up at Nodame's bodyguard. "I've always thought that she eats anything as long as it's edible."

"She does," Oliver replied simply, a grave and knowing look on his face.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hmm. . . . What could be going on with Nodame? ;-)

I got the idea of Chiaki yawning to hide the fact that he was crying from Crystal Kay's song "_Konna ni Chikaku de..._", which was the first ending song of the anime. The lyrics in English were "I yawned to hide my tears."

Many historians say that Joseph Stalin really _did_ murder more people than Adolf Hitler. I just hope nobody else attempts to kill more people than either of them put together.

Once again, I am sorry for being so talkative.

Your comments are very much welcome.


	26. Lesson 26

**LESSON TWENTY-SIX**

"Ma'am, there is something very important that I have to tell you."

"What is it now, Oliver? Did she say something stupid during the interview?"

"No, it's nothing like that," replied Oliver in a strangely urgent tone.

Noticing her assistant's odd display of slight panic, Elize realized that what he had to tell her was indeed something incredibly serious. She nodded at him as a signal to go on.

"Do you remember telling me to keep an eye on her back in July?" Oliver asked.

Elize screwed up her eyes as if in deep thought and murmured, "Yes, probably. . ."

"Ma'am, she threw up after eating a clubhouse sandwich," said Oliver abruptly.

His boss merely stared up at his face.

"I believe this is a very grave matter," Oliver continued, seeing that Elize appeared to be having some difficulty working the information in her brain fast enough.

"Oh, I remember now!" exclaimed Elize all of a sudden. She continued in a calmer voice, "There's no need to worry. It's too late to be thinking about _that_, anyway."

"I beg your pardon, Ma'am?" Oliver asked in confusion.

"Use your head, Oliver," answered Elize with an impatient air. "The reason I told you to keep a close watch on her was because I wanted to check if she was pregnant. Didn't I give you specific instructions to check if she started throwing up after three weeks?"

Still in a state of befuddlement, all Oliver could do was nod.

"It's been more or less seven weeks since then, hasn't it?" Elize continued. "By now, it's obvious that she isn't pregnant. All those pregnancy signs should have turned up after about three weeks but they didn't. And besides, she's already had her period."

"I'm. . . beginning to understand," said Oliver, though there was still a look of wonder on his face. After a moment, he added, "How were you so sure at that time that there was a possibility for her to become pregnant?"

"Well, I know her cycle," Elize explained. "She was supposed to be ovulating during the last week of July. That's when we saw them in the room, remember?"

Oliver hesitated once again before saying, "But whether she's pregnant or not doesn't prove if anything happened between them."

"It doesn't matter if something or nothing at all happened between her and Chiaki. What's important is whether she's pregnant or not. But since she isn't, then we're all relieved."

"Why is that?"

"It's because that means Nodame doesn't have to stop performing," said Elize irritably. "What if she _did_ get pregnant? She would have to cancel all her concerts planned early next year because she has to take care of the baby when it's born. And besides that, she'll have to put the baby first before her job which means that she'll only get to perform once in a while."

"And that means?"

"It means," Elize replied, "that we lose the meaning in our business and the world loses one of its biggest classical music stars."

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes until Oliver inquired, "Ma'am, what does it mean, 'ovulating?'"

"Never mind, Oliver."

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Momodaira Minako, the chairperson or _Rijichou_ of the board of directors of Momogaoka Music Academy, was staring out her second-floor office window. For the past thirty minutes or so, she had been observing all the students going around the campus. She was amused at the sight of large groups of students walking together and laughing while making their way to their classes. She also couldn't help but smile when she saw some students practicing their instruments while seated on the benches scattered all over the campus.

_Some of them just work so hard, don't they?_ she thought to herself, her old but beautiful face breaking out into a smile.

She heard her door creak open and turned around to see who had just entered. It turned out to be her secretary.

"Yes, what is it?" Rijichou asked.

"You have a call from Franz Stresemann," replied her secretary, holding out a phone.

Rijichou's eyes widened with delight. She stood up at once and took the phone from her secretary, who bowed before leaving the room.

"Hello, Franz?" said Rijichou as she placed the phone to her ear.

"Mina. . . . It's been a while."

Rijichou smiled brightly upon hearing Stresemann's familiar voice, which was marked with a strong German accent even though he spoke in Japanese. After a moment, she asked, "What made you call?"

"Oh, I just wanted to catch up on things," was the reply. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much to be honest," Rijichou answered, sighing. "Everything about the school is still the same. The teachers are all doing fine and, as usual, the number of students is still increasing."

"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" asked Stresemann. "More and more young people want to get into music!"

Rijichou hesitated for a while before saying, "There are so many of them and yet only a very few succeed in the music world. After they graduate, some of them will go on to become professional musicians. . . but most of them will return to their homes and get other jobs. They will probably run bakeries or become store managers."

"Well, that _is_ the truth of the matter," Stresemann put in gravely.

"You know, Franz," began Rijichou, "sometimes I feel that I'm doing a terrible job of running this school."

"What are you talking about?" Stresemann said. "That school of yours has produced hundreds of professional musicians already."

"Yes, it has produced hundreds. . . as opposed to the hundreds of thousands who've studied here. I sometimes wonder why these students still work so hard to improve their musical skills even though they know that some of them will most likely be leaving music for good once they graduate from this academy."

There was a lengthy silence, which was broken when Stresemann finally said, "Didn't you tell me a long time ago that your job wasn't to turn all your students into musicians but to help them delight in the joy of music while they still can?"

Rijichou remained silent.

"Not all of them will continue on with music," continued Stresemann, "but to be able to play it and to face it with genuine passion, even for just a while, is rewarding enough for them."

"I suppose you're right, Franz," Rijichou murmured.

"Right, then!" exclaimed Stresemann in a booming voice. "Why don't we talk about something a little more cheerful? Are there any interesting students lately?"

"There _are_ a few who stand out from the rest," replied Rijichou. "Some of them are highly talented, but lately there haven't been many _extraordinary_ ones around."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

Once again, Rijichou paused before answering, "There aren't any Chiaki Shinichis or Miki Kiyoras or Noda Megumis anymore."

"Well, those types of people don't come around very often," said Stresemann, chuckling. "Especially not the last one you mentioned," he added thoughtfully.

"That batch of students was one of the best Momogaoka has ever had."

"To be sure," Stresemann piped in. He continued in a whisper, "And I'm not saying that just because Chiaki was my pupil."

Rijichou laughed and said, "They will always be the group that stands out among all of them. And it's not only because they happened to be such a talented batch. They were very bold and adventurous and they were determined to see their dreams fulfilled. Can you believe that that group of students was responsible for forming one of the most famous orchestras in the country today?"

"So the rising stars are now _risen_ stars, aren't they?"

Suddenly remembering something, Rijichou asked, "Franz, have you heard that Chiaki-kun will be conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra next Saturday? I read all about it from last month's issue of _Classic Life_."

"Ah! I'm so glad you reminded me of that," said Stresemann. "The reason I called was really because I wanted to invite you to come watch it with me. I have two tickets. As to the airfare, we'll work something out."

"I would love to!" Rijichou said, extremely pleased. "I can't believe you managed to get tickets! I heard a bit of news down at the Uraken that it's a sold-out concert."

"It is. . . but being the maestro of the guest conductor does have its perks," replied Stresemann smugly.

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Nodame, Jean, and Yuko were seated around a small circular table covered with a white linen tablecloth at the restaurant of the Ritz Hotel in London. The three of them decided to have some tea after returning from Nodame and Jean's rehearsal with the London Symphony that afternoon.

"What did you think of the Mozart, Yuko?" Jean asked, stirring his tea with a small spoon.

"It was very joyful and bouncy," said his wife. "I think Nodame's really improved, especially with the minuet in the third movement. There was a dreamy quality about the way you played it," she added, smiling at Nodame.

"Eh?" asked Nodame brightly. "You really think so?"

"I think we just need to play it a few more times over until we're ready for the tour," Jean said. After a while, he asked, "Nodame, are you excited?"

"Of course I am!" Nodame replied with a wide grin on her lips.

"Actually, I didn't think we would master the pieces this quickly," admitted Jean. "We've made immense progress."

Nodame nodded fervently as she bit into a biscuit.

"I hope they'll let us get away from London for a little while," Yuko said hopefully. "You've finished working on all the pieces anyway, so I think a short vacation wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"Ah, you're right," Jean agreed. "Why don't we stay at home in Prague for a few days? A bit of rest would be nice before the tour starts. . ."

"No, Jean!" retorted Yuko. "I was hoping that we'd go to Vienna and watch Chiaki-kun's performance with the Vienna Philharmonic!"

Yuko was completely taken by surprise when her husband laughed.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. "Is there something on my face?" she added very softly.

Nodame giggled too, though she herself didn't know why Jean was laughing in the first place.

When Jean had recovered from his fit of laughter, he said, "Don't worry, I had my manager buy us two tickets. We'll be seated in the seventh row."

"That's great!" exclaimed Yuko, immediately cheering up. "Those are really good seats, aren't they?" With that, she let out a loud and shrill laugh.

Nodame looked down at her lap and started fidgeting with her skirt's hemline so that neither Yuko nor Jean would be able to see the sadness glistening in her eyes. Her lips were slowly starting to jut out.

_Nodame was hoping that Senpai would send her a ticket_, she thought sadly. _But it looks like we're not on speaking terms anymore. . ._

"Elize!" said Jean suddenly upon seeing Nodame's manager approach their table. "Do join us and have some tea."

Elize flashed him a timid sort of smile. A faint streak of pink appeared across her cheeks for a split second. Had Nodame seen how oddly her manager was behaving just because Jean invited her to tea, she would have laughed very loudly and teased Elize. But Nodame took no notice of her manager at all, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of the current condition of her relationship with Chiaki.

_Has he forgotten all about Nodame now?_ thought Nodame. _Am I no longer a part of his life?_

"No, thank you," Elize said in her most polite voice before turning to Nodame. Her smiling countenance immediately turned into a look of worry as she gazed at her client, who still didn't seem to notice her presence.

"Nodame," said Yuko, shaking Nodame's arm. "Elize is here to see you."

"Eh?" Nodame asked absentmindedly.

Rolling her eyes, Elize pulled out an envelope from her blazer's inner pocket and placed it on the table in front of Nodame.

"Please tell her that envelope is for her," she told Jean and Yuko. "It's from Chiaki."

All at once, Nodame was awakened from her contemplations.

"_Is it really from him?!_" she asked, looking up at Elize with a feverish glow of excitement on her face.

"Ah, you're back," Elize said rather sarcastically, though she was smiling. "Yes, he sent it from Vienna. It isn't a present or anything of the sort. Well, enjoy your afternoon tea," she added before turning to leave.

The moment Elize was gone, Nodame ripped open the envelope.

"Senpai. . ." she said breathlessly, her eyes brimming with happiness as she beheld in her hands a ticket to Chiaki's concert with the Vienna Philharmonic during the upcoming Saturday.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Was this chapter all right? I feel like it's just another intermission from this incredibly long performance entitled "It's Rachmaninoff's Fault." Hopefully, the events which occurred here will be of some value in the later chapters.

By the way, I do apologize for all the spelling errors in the previous chapters. It was only after I had uploaded the last four chapters did I notice how many times I spelled Königsberg incorrectly. I hope my old teacher doesn't read this fic; I think he'd be ashamed of me. ;-)

I'm terribly sorry if I'm wrong about the things Elize mentioned in this chapter concerning pregnancy and childbirth. I've never actually become pregnant before, so I wouldn't know. If there are any mothers reading this, please forgive my inaccuracy.

Your comments are always appreciated.


	27. Lesson 27

**LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN**

It was a cold but beautiful Monday morning in autumn when Chiaki decided to take a short walk around downtown Vienna. The previous Saturday, he announced to the Vienna Philharmonic that they would not have any rehearsals that Monday, much to the immense relief of everybody involved (including himself). He knew that it was a break which all of them needed and a well-earned one it was. The orchestra had slaved over the four pieces in the repertoire for the past five weeks and by that time, they had already perfected everything down to the last detail in exactly the way their tyrannical guest conductor wanted it to sound like. Chiaki had to admit that he was just as tired as all of the VPO members, but at the same time he was fulfilled.

_We'll just have to see how the audience will receive our performance this Saturday_, he thought as he walked past a line of antique shops which were just starting to open.

All of a sudden, Chiaki stopped in his tracks and saw a small pawnshop just a short distance away from where he was. The words "Rotwald Jewelry Pawnshop" were printed on the sign hanging above the shop's door. It was the very pawnshop where he had left the ring almost one year before.

_Could it still be there?_ he thought, slowly walking over to the shop. However, he hesitated when he reached the entrance.

_Why would I be interested in checking if the ring's still there?_ he asked himself. _That ring has nothing to do with me anymore._

Chiaki made a move to turn away, but then he heard a small voice in his head speaking.

_It doesn't hurt to take even just a peek, does it?_

He turned to face the door of the pawnshop again and heaved a frustrated sigh.

_"Dammit_," he muttered, furious at himself as he pulled open the pawnshop's door.

"Good morning, I'll be right there with you in a moment, sir," said the dealer upon noticing Chiaki enter the shop. "Please take a seat," he added, motioning at a chair placed next to the door.

Chiaki obeyed and planted himself on the chair. He saw that the dealer was still busy helping out another customer, who was a young man with shoulder-length maize-colored hair.

"This one's very pretty, isn't it?" said the young man, pointing at one of the pieces of jewelry on display in front of him.

"What sort of ring are you actually looking for, sir?" the dealer asked the young man.

_Did he just say "ring?"_ thought Chiaki, his curiosity suddenly awakened. He kept his eyes down and pretended to stare at his shoes as he tried to take in a bit of their conversation.

"Ah, well, let me see. . ." began the customer. "I don't want anything big. A small diamond will do. And I'd prefer a thin band."

"Would you like silver or platinum?"

"Do you have gold?" the young man inquired. After a second, he continued in an excited voice, "_That one!_ That's what I'm looking for!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Chiaki saw the young man pointing at a small gold ring on display.

The dealer appeared hesitant and said, "Are you sure that's the one you want, sir?"

"Of course, that's exactly what I've been looking for," said the customer. "I'll buy that one. How much is it?"

"The value isn't that high," the dealer explained, ignoring the customer's question. "It should be 10 karats at most."

"It doesn't matter," the customer said in a final tone. "She won't care about the value, anyway."

"Oh!" exclaimed the dealer. "So it's an engagement ring, eh?"

The young man made a small and rather embarrassed smile before answering, "Actually, I've been planning on proposing to her for some time already. But the thing is. . . I've never been really sure if she's in love with me."

"Why not?"

"Well. . ." the young man began. "Even now, I think she's still in love with this other man."

"A third party?" asked the dealer in a hushed tone.

"Not at all!" the customer replied abruptly. "You could say he was her _first love_."

"I see," said the dealer. In a moment, he picked up the ring from its place on the display counter and placed it in the customer's hand.

"That ring has a very interesting story, you know," the dealer continued, winking.

"Tell me about it!" said the young man. "I'm awfully fond of stories."

The dealer remained silent for a while. After about a minute, he replied hurriedly, "I think it's best I shouldn't tell you."

"What?" asked the young man, his face marked with disappointment.

"You might just change your mind about purchasing it," the dealer said. "That'll be 165 Euros."

The young man put his hand in his pocket and pulled out several Euro notes, which he handed to the dealer.

"Hold on, I'll return your change in a minute," the dealer told the young man. He then looked over to Chiaki and said, "May I help you, sir?"

Chiaki stood up at once and walked over to the dealer. The young man flashed him a friendly smile, which he returned.

"I was just wondering if the thing I pawned is still here," Chiaki said as he turned to face the dealer again. He tried his best to act as naturally as possible.

The dealer didn't answer and merely stared up into Chiaki's face as though he were attempting to remember something. After about a minute, the dealer's face broke out into a smile and he said, "I thought you would never return."

"Excuse me," the other customer cut in. "May I have my change now?"

"Oh, right!" said the dealer, jumping in surprise. "Hold on," he added before handing the young man a few coins.

"Thank you very much," the young man said, grinning broadly.

"I'm glad to be of service," replied the dealer. "Now what was your question again, sir?" he asked, returning his gaze on Chiaki.

"The thing. . . I pawned here last December," Chiaki began slowly. "Is it still here?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking, it is," the dealer answered, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Excuse me," the young man said again. "Might I ask you a question?"

Chiaki's face twitched when he realized that the young man's request was directed at him.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, puzzled.

The young man took a deep breath before asking, "What do you think of this ring?" With that, he showed Chiaki the ring he had just purchased.

"It's beautiful," Chiaki replied quickly, glancing at the ring for only a split second. However, his eyes widened when he saw, at a second glance, that its thin gold band and its small pink diamond looked very familiar. _Too_ familiar, in fact.

"Isn't it?" said the young man enthusiastically. "It's very simple, but I hope she likes it."

"That's. . ." Chiaki began, his wide eyes fixed on the ring in the other customer's hand. "T-that's my. . ."

"Are you all right?" asked the young man, eyeing Chiaki with concern.

Chiaki couldn't seem to find any words to say.

After several moments, the young man said, "Well, good day to both of you." He nodded at the dealer and patted Chiaki on the back before making his way out of the door.

Once the young man stepped out of the shop and closed the door behind him, the dealer said, "The thing you pawned is no longer here, sir."

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"_WE'RE HERE!!!_" shrieked the R S Orchestra members in unison as they went out of the Wien-Schwechat Airport and into the chilly Vienna afternoon air. Each of them was dragging behind a relatively small suitcase while they made their way out of the airport.

"Are you all really _that_ excited to be here?" Mine asked in amazement.

"Of course since it's our first time to go to Vienna!" replied the clarinetist Suzuki Kaoru with a pretty smile. Her twin Moe nodded in agreement.

"It's our first time to go to _Europe_!" the French horn player Kanai Kento piped in.

The other orchestra members nodded excitedly.

"We'll finally get to watch the Vienna Philharmonic!" exclaimed the petite contrabassist Saku Sakura. "It's always been my dream to see them on stage!"

"And apart from that," Masumi said dreamily, "I'm going to see Chiaki-sama again!"

The violinist Takahashi Noriyuki added in the same dreamy manner, "I've so longed to touch Chiaki-kun's beautiful body again."

"_What did you just say?!_" squealed Masumi incredulously, turning to Takahashi and raising his fist.

"Oi, don't get so rowdy!" Mine said loudly above the noise his fellow orchestra members were making. "Let's all calm down and get ourselves some taxis, okay? You, guys, wait here. I'll be right back." With that last word, he went off to the taxi terminal nearby.

"It's so great to be back here," said Maiko in a voice that seemed like a sigh. "Vienna is such a lovely place."

"To be sure," the stylish horn player Katayama agreed, fixing his bangs with one sweep of his hand.

The bespectacled violinist Kimura Tomohito pointed out, "This is our chance to get together all the original R S Orchestra members as well. Kikuchi-kun's flying in this evening, right?"

"He said his girlfriend was coming too," Maiko added.

"Which one?" asked Katayama.

At that moment, all of them laughed heartily.

"Is it true that Kuroki-kun will be arriving from Paris?" Katayama continued.

"I heard he's also bringing along his girlfriend," answered Kimura in a serious tone as he straightened his glasses.

Some of the female orchestra members gasped.

"The Samurai has a girlfriend?!" Sakura shrieked.

"Yes, she's a Russian pianist," said Maiko. "She's one of Nodame-chan's close friends."

"_Russian?!_" shouted several voices at once.

"Wow, that sounds so nice," mused Kaoru. "It must be cool to date a foreigner. . ."

"You know, I always thought he had a thing for Nodame-chan," the cellist Inoue Yuki admitted. "He used to always give her flowers back then, didn't he?"

A few of the girls giggled.

Just then, Mine returned and announced, "Oi, all of you, I hired a tourist shuttle to take us around the place for the entire week. We'll be driven to the hotel from here, so get your things ready."

While all of them were picking up their bags and getting ready to leave, Kimura approached Mine and whispered rather nervously, "How much is the rental fee for the shuttle?"

"70 Euros a day," Mine answered. "We'll be in Vienna for seven days, so that's 490 Euros all in all. Ah, we'll also be providing the driver's meals, so we should take him wherever we have lunch."

"'_490 Euros?!_'" asked Kimura as though he found it incredibly difficult to take in what his friend was telling him. "I can't believe this. Now I have to recalculate everything. All the accounting I've done is going to be affected – "

"Stop worrying," Mine told him reassuringly, placing his hands on Kimura's shoulders. "We're supposed to be here to have a great time, so just take your mind off the finances for a moment, all right?"

"All right, all right," said Kimura. After a while, he continued in an annoyed tone, "_But why do we have to feed the driver too?!_"

"Because it's our way of expressing our gratitude to him!"

"Isn't the actual payment enough for that?" Kimura asked tiredly.

"He's going to be working hard while the rest of us are enjoying ourselves," explained Mine, "so isn't it fair to let him in on a bit of the fun? The food here's delicious, after all."

Kimura frowned at his friend before walking away to get his belongings.

"When we get back to Japan," he said to himself in an undertone, "I'll be killing myself organizing and rewriting all of our financial records. . . . Do we even have the 490 Euros we need to pay for the shuttle? And we're supposed to be paying for the driver's meals too. . . . We haven't even been here for more than an hour and we've already made all these expenses. We haven't paid for all our tickets to the performance on Saturday either. . . . I'm going crazy. How will I survive this entire week?"

"Kimura-kun?" asked Moe, noticing his odd behavior. "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine."

"You were talking to yourself," Moe said matter-of-factly. "Don't worry too much," she added, smiling.

"'Worry?'" Kimura asked in an agitated manner. "Well, when it comes to this orchestra, somebody has to."

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_Chiaki made a small smile at Kiyora and said, "Well, I think Rachmaninoff has succeeded in completely swallowing _me_ up. And I have to say that he's done the same thing to Nodame too."_

_"So that's how it all began," put in Kiyora thoughtfully. She paused for a moment before continuing, "But I still don't understand something – "_

_"Do you remember the very first concerto Nodame and I had as the Golden Pair?" Chiaki interrupted all of a sudden._

_"Wasn't it. . . Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2?"_

_Chiaki nodded._

_"When she was in her final year at the Conservatoire in Paris," he explained, "she made me promise her that when we became the Golden Pair, we would perform at least one Rachmaninoff concerto every year. I told her that it wasn't a good idea since there are only three Rachmaninoff concertos anyway and the audience would get tired of us if we played the same things over and over again. But she said to me, 'A person only gets tired of listening to music if it isn't played with the heart.'"_

_Kiyora found herself smirking._

_"I knew she was right," continued Chiaki, "though I still didn't agree with her plan to do Rachmaninoff every year. She didn't mind that I didn't make her any promises at that time because she said she knew I would agree with her in the end."_

_"Didn't you?" Kiyora asked, an amused expression on her face._

_Chiaki hesitated before replying, "You could say it was an unspoken agreement. . . . Most of the things in our relationship back then _were_."_

_"Eh?"_

Dammit_, Chiaki thought with regret. _I've said too much.

_Understanding that he had no other choice but to face up to the truth, he went on, "Even now, I don't know what sort of relationship Nodame and I actually had."_

_He glanced at Kiyora, whose expression was now that of restrained disappointment._

_"I have to admit that I'm not one of the most honest people in existence," said Chiaki._

_All at once, Kiyora's face lit up as she asked teasingly, "Weren't you honest to _us_ back when we were still in an orchestra? You were incredibly straightforward when it came to the music. A little _too _straightforward, I'm sorry to say."_

_"Somebody had to correct all of your mistakes," Chiaki said with a hint of a smile. "I didn't hate any of you. I just couldn't put up with the way you used to play everything halfheartedly."_

_Kiyora laughed._

_"You're forgiven, Chiaki-kun," she said in a reassuring voice. "That's a thing of the past."_

As is my relationship with Nodame_, added Chiaki to himself._

_"Anyway," he continued, "what I meant when I said that I wasn't honest. . . was that somehow I couldn't admit the truth to her. I was always at a loss for words whenever I thought that it was the right time to tell her about how I felt. And when I didn't think it was the right time to say anything, I managed to live behind a thick wall of excuses and reasons. More often than not, I was hiding behind that wall."_

_He paused for a moment, then said, "Sometimes Nodame managed to pull out a few bricks from that wall. I tried with all my might to conceal myself from her completely, but some way or another she was able to peek through the tiny holes she'd made. There was even an instance when I was sure that she had already climbed up that wall and succeeded in going over to the side where I was. But the more she tried to look past all the excuses, the more excuses I threw at her."_

_"Were you determined to hide the truth from her. . . forever?" Kiyora asked almost inaudibly._

No, dammit! _Chiaki said in his mind angrily_. I wanted to marry her for crying out loud!

_"I wasn't," he answered. "I knew I had to tell her how I truly felt and I sincerely wanted to. I just couldn't. Even after all those years, I haven't told her. . ."_

_"What did you actually want to tell her?"_

_Chiaki looked like he couldn't think of anything to say._

_"Did you want to tell her that you loved her?" continued Kiyora._

_"'Love,'" Chiaki said suddenly in a disillusioned sort of manner. "What does that word mean?"_

_"Huh?" asked Kiyora in confusion._

_"I honestly don't have the faintest idea."_

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_Until now, does he still not know what love is?_ Kiyora thought.

She sighed heavily as she pulled out a tray from the oven. On the tray was a rather burnt turkey covered with all sorts of herbs and leaves.

"_Damn_," she muttered under her breath, setting the tray on top of her kitchen counter. _I was never much of a cook to begin with_, she added in her mind.

Kiyora was preparing what was supposed to be a "special" dinner for her and Chiaki. She had called him the previous day and invited him to come over to her place to have dinner and talk about a few things. She volunteered to cook some turkey for him as well, though Chiaki immediately offered that he would do the cooking instead.

_I should have just accepted his offer_, she thought, furious at herself. _Ryu has always told me how great Chiaki-kun is at cooking. Now he's going to make fun of this burnt offering._

She made an irritable huff before saying aloud, "As if I can do anything more to fix this turkey."

_I might as well practice the new recital piece Maestro gave me until Chiaki-kun arrives_, she thought, walking over to the living room and picking up her violin case from the floor.

When she took out her instrument and finished tuning it, she picked up a score from the coffee table and read the cover. Written in large bold letters were the words "_Mi Mancherai_", which meant "You Will Miss Me" in English. It was a contemporary Italian song which Kyle Dune recommended for her recital the following month.

_It sounds sad_, she told herself as she set the score atop a stand. _I wonder what it's all about._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** In case you got a bit confused, the long portion written in italics is the continuation to the conversation Chiaki and Kiyora had outside the Karlskirche. By the way, there's still more to that little chat which I still haven't written. ;-)

The full title of the song mentioned at the end of the chapter is "_Mi Mancherai (Il Postino)_" or "You Will Miss Me (The Postman)" in English. It's a song featured on Josh Groban's second album _Closer_, which was released in 2003. The well-known violinist Joshua Bell did the violin solo during the recording. For this fic, I decided that Kiyora would perform an arrangement intended for solo violin with piano accompaniment.

You're already probably sick of my apologies for talking too much.

I'd love to hear your comments.


	28. Lesson 28

**LESSON TWENTY-EIGHT**

_Is that Mendelssohn?_ Chiaki thought as he made his way up the stairs leading to Kiyora's third-floor apartment. Though he couldn't hear all of it clearly, he could just make out a melancholic melody being played on a violin coming from somewhere above him.

_No, it can't be_, he contradicted himself. _It's too mournful to be Mendelssohn._

When he reached the third floor, the sound of the violin was already ringing clearly in his ears. It was indeed a sorrowful tune, even almost close to a lament. Chiaki could not remember whether he had heard this piece before or not.

_Could it be one of Kiyora's compositions?_ he wondered, pressing the doorbell of Apartment 306.

From outside, Chiaki heard the violin stop immediately and within a moment, the person who had been playing it opened the door and came face-to-face with him.

"Chiaki-kun, come in!" said Kiyora, beaming at him. She motioned for him to follow her into the apartment.

"Thank you," Chiaki said simply as he entered the small but elegantly-decorated apartment. He observed that nearly everything in the apartment was the color red: the sofa, the table runner, the thick comforter covering the bed, and even the walls.

_No one would even doubt that this is really Kiyora's apartment_, he thought in amusement.

When he took a closer look at the place, he noticed that the burgundy walls were adorned with several black-and-white photographs of Kiyora, Mine, and their daughter Seika. However, the thing that really caught Chiaki's eye was the large oil painting hanging just above the bed. It was a surrealistic image of a woman riding a horse. Surrounding the woman and the horse were all kinds of figures such as doves, flute players, and violin players. He took a moment to stare at it and read the signature placed at the bottom of the painting.

"'Marc Chagall,'" he read aloud. "Is this the original?" he added in a curious voice.

"No, it's just a reproduction," answered Kiyora. "Ryu bought it a few months ago at an antique shop in London. He decided to buy it because he's become a big fan of Chagall lately."

"Eh?"

Kiyora laughed before explaining, "Chagall was Anna Scott's favorite artist."

"Wasn't Anna Scott the character Julia Roberts played in _Notting Hill_?" Chiaki asked. _So Mine's definitely become obsessed by that movie after all_, he added in his mind.

Kiyora nodded.

"He likes that painting too because it has a picture of a violinist near the bottom," she continued. After a moment, she said, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I suppose. . ."

"I'll get the turkey ready, then," said Kiyora, leading Chiaki to the dining table. There was an expression of subdued fear in her face, which Chiaki couldn't understand.

As he watched Kiyora taking out two plates from a drawer, Chiaki asked, "What was that piece you were playing just now?"

"Ah, that. . . . I'll be playing it at my recital next month."

"Did you compose it?"

"Not at all," answered Kiyora. "It was composed by somebody named Luis Bacalov, I think. Maestro told me to perform a few contemporary pieces for the recital and he recommended that particular song to me. The title's '_Mi Mancherai_.'"

"'You Will Miss Me?'" Chiaki said thoughtfully. "Does it have a story?"

"Let me think. . ." began Kiyora as she set the two plates on the table. "It's about a young man who gets a job as a mail carrier and as a result, he has to go to distant places and leave the girl he loves. The girl, whom he has known since childhood, assures him that her feelings will never change. When he finally goes away, though, both of them realize that without one another, they both feel empty and lonely. It's quite sad."

"Can you play it for me after dinner?"

"Sure, but it's still a bit rough," Kiyora said. "I'm afraid the turkey I made _is_ rather rough too," she added, her cheeks turning pink.

In a minute, Kiyora took the tray of turkey from the kitchen counter and carried it to the table. Chiaki remained silent and did his best to look as stoic as possible when he saw the turkey's burnt skin and the hastily added spices and other sorts of garnish laid out on top of it.

_I should have brought some food too_, he thought as he gazed at the thoroughly unappetizing dish in front of him.

"I'm so sorry about this, Chiaki-kun," pleaded Kiyora apologetically. "I should have listened to you when you said you'd do the cooking. I really am no good when it comes to this sort of thing."

"No," Chiaki replied abruptly. "It's fine. It's. . . _well-done_," he added in an effort to be euphemistic.

_Dammit, I don't even think that turkey's edible_, he said to himself.

"You don't have to be so kind," said Kiyora in a shrewd tone.

Both of them didn't say anything for a while until Chiaki suggested, "Why don't we go out and eat at the bistro across the street? I'll pay for everything."

Kiyora let out a relieved sigh and said, "Thank you _very_ much, Chiaki-kun."

"It's nothing," put in Chiaki nonchalantly.

_I'm doing this to save myself too._

While they made their way out of the apartment and started going down the stairs, Chiaki turned to his companion and said, "You still owe me that violin piece later."

"Absolutely," Kiyora replied with a smile.

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Elize and Oliver were having a breakfast of cream cheese-topped bagels and coffee at the restaurant of the Holiday Inn in Vienna when they saw Nodame coming out of the elevator and staggering towards them. She was wearing a bottle green bathrobe over her flannel pajamas and the ends of her disheveled hair were sticking out in all directions. There was a haggard look on her normally cheerful face.

"Couldn't you have at least gotten into some decent clothes before coming down?" asked Elize almost tiredly. She glanced down at her client's feet and saw that Nodame was wearing a pair of fluffy slippers with the _PuriGorota_ character Kazuo's face printed on the fronts.

Oliver held out a bagel to Nodame, which she took after dropping herself onto the chair next to him.

"_Nodame is so tired_," she said in a voice which sounded like just a breath.

"Didn't you sleep well?" Elize asked.

"I had a bad dream," replied Nodame, her lips protruding.

Elize rolled her eyes before continuing, "What was it about?"

"Senpai and Nodame were performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Chicago Symphony," Nodame explained. "It was a great performance. Afterwards, when I was still in my dressing room, Senpai came in with a very pretty German lady I didn't know. He said her name was Ilsa and that she was a pianist and they got married in secret the day before. He told me he came round to Nodame's dressing room to bid her goodbye before they left for their honeymoon in Hawaii." With that, she let out a loud wail and drooped her head as tears started falling out of her eyes.

Oliver patted her comfortingly on the back.

"It was _just_ a dream," said Elize, eyeing Nodame with an uncharacteristically sympathetic expression.

"But what if it comes true?" Nodame asked in a pitiful tone.

Her manager sighed.

As Nodame started nibbling her bagel, she continued, "I don't want to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 anymore."

"Huh?" Elize retorted incredulously.

"I don't want to play it with Senpai ever again."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Elize. "Didn't you make Chiaki promise you that you'd perform that piece together next year?"

"I've changed my mind," Nodame mumbled. After several minutes, she continued in a brighter tone of voice, "_Gyabo_! Oliver, what do you call these little round rolls of bread? They're delicious!"

"They're called 'bagels,'" replied Oliver. "Do you want me to order some more?"

Nodame nodded enthusiastically, completely unaware that her manager was gaping at her with an exhausted countenance.

_How in the world did Chiaki manage to survive this woman for all those years?!_ Elize asked herself.

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The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra members stared intently at their guest conductor just as he set down his baton and closed his score. All of them were anticipating his reaction to how they played _The Firebird_, which was the very last piece in their programme. Many of them expected him to remind them of their rests or to tell them to take note of their intervals or their pitches. However, after a moment, Chiaki gazed at them all with a broad smile on his lips.

"Ah, he seems happy today," said one of the cellists in a very audible whisper, who was exceedingly surprised when Chiaki shot him an even brighter grin.

Many of the other members laughed.

When the laughter had died down, Chiaki began, "There are still three days until the performance on Saturday, which gives us plenty of extra time to rehearse, but I don't think any further practice is needed anymore. It's been more or less six weeks since we've started preparing for our concert and I'm very glad to say that all of you have done very well. Not that you've never been good. You _are_ the Vienna Philharmonic, after all."

"Are you complementing us?" the concertmaster asked in an almost disbelieving tone.

_I'm just saying the truth_, Chiaki said to himself. _Do none of them actually believe me?_

Chiaki made a small smile before going on, "There are just a few minor details that need some improvement. First of all, don't forget the _sforzando_ on the 104th mark. And please take note that the brass and the woodwinds play the melody in this piece, not the strings. Therefore, it's important that the string instruments do not overpower all the others. Apart from that. . . everything's perfect."

"Would you like us to play it once over again?" volunteered an oboist.

The conductor hesitated before answering, "No. Let's just leave everything at that. It will be something to look forward to during the actual performance. . . . A surprise, perhaps."

The entire orchestra gaped at Chiaki's face in wonder.

"So I'll see you all on Saturday," said Chiaki. "Let's enjoy the music. Everyone's dismissed."

After several minutes, the Musikvereinssaal's main concert hall gradually emptied. When most of the orchestra members had already made their way out, Chiaki began packing up his scores and his baton in his bag.

"They look happier than I've ever seen them," said a deep male voice in thickly accented Japanese.

Chiaki started. He turned around to look at where the speaker was and saw a familiar elderly man with a long pointed nose and wavy silver-grey hair that fell to his shoulders sitting somewhere in the middle of the tenth row of the theater.

"Maestro. . ." began Chiaki, his eyes widening in surprise.

"How are you?" Stresemann asked in a voice that echoed throughout the concert hall. He stood up from his place and approached Chiaki.

"As good as can be, I suppose," replied Chiaki lamely. After a moment, he added, "What are you doing in Vienna?"

"My one and only student will be conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday. You didn't think I'd let this opportunity pass me by, did you?"

"You seem to have a lot of free time on your hands," Chiaki pointed out, making a small smile.

Stresemann smiled back at him.

"I guess there really isn't much to do when you're a retired conductor," continued Chiaki. "It must be a boring, sedentary life."

"Sooner or later, Chiaki," Stresemann began in a knowing tone, "even _you_ will be wishing for this kind of life. . . . I know you won't believe me, but it really is quite wonderful. However, I do believe retirement is much more enjoyable when you have somebody to share the fun with."

_Is this remark meant for me?_ thought Chiaki.

"I can imagine," he said, deciding to ignore his inner musings. "You must have dozens of women providing you all the _pleasures_ that life has to offer."

His maestro laughed heartily before continuing, "Now don't make fun of me, Chiaki. That's not Franz Stresemann you're talking about."

"Huh?"

Sighing, Stresemann said, "I am a changed man."

Chiaki thought it was his turn to laugh, but he managed to keep a straight face.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"I've given up my harems for good," explained the Maestro. "I stopped going to Club One More Kiss about five months ago."

"Which one?" Chiaki asked, smirking.

"All of them," answered Stresemann simply. "I had a hard time parting with the Club One More Kiss branch in Tokyo, mind you. But once you get used to not having so many women around, it humbles you."

Chiaki stared at him with an expression of bewilderment etched on his face.

"Anyway, it's for the betterment of everybody," Stresemann continued. "I have become wiser and simpler. And apart from that, my harems have finally started taking notice of the other customers at Club One More Kiss."

"Have they never paid any attention to the others before?"

"Well, whenever I was there, they just couldn't lay their eyes on anybody else," replied Stresemann in his typical smug manner.

_What the hell just happened to the "it humbles you" part?_ Chiaki thought, rolling his eyes.

"How's the love life, Chiaki?" asked Stresemann all of a sudden.

"Eh?"

Stresemann gazed at him shrewdly.

Chiaki averted his eyes and murmured, "It's private. . . as it has always been."

"Oh, so you _do_ have a love life!" the Maestro exclaimed, chuckling.

_I've always had a love life. . . or whatever it's called_, Chiaki reasoned. _It just hasn't been very active recently._

For a split second, his cheeks turned a pale pink color.

"So who's the unfortunate young lady?" asked Stresemann jokingly.

"You know perfectly well who it is," Chiaki said under his breath. He was starting to become increasingly annoyed at his maestro's inquiries into the aspects of his life which he preferred to keep to himself.

"Is it still her?" continued Stresemann.

Chiaki remained silent.

_So this old pervert just came here to ask me about Nodame. As if he'll get anything out of me._

"Have you told her?" the Maestro went on.

"Told her what?" snapped Chiaki, his patience wearing out.

Stresemann sighed wearily and slowly sat down on one of the front row seats.

"Chiaki. . ." he began. "Do you remember what I told you all those years ago when you accompanied me during my world tour? Can you recall the exact words that I said when we were both sitting in the lobby of that hotel in Tokyo right after Rui and her mother left for the airport?"

Chiaki felt rather ashamed to admit that he honestly couldn't remember a word Stresemann had told him at that time. He couldn't even remember how that hotel lobby looked like.

"No, I don't," he answered.

After a very long silence, Stresemann said, "'_You have to be clear about these things._'"

_I _have_ been clear, haven't I?_ Chiaki said to himself. _I told her that I wanted to marry her. Isn't that clear enough?_

Stresemann seemed to be attempting to read Chiaki's facial expression, which was a mixture of annoyance and disappointment and even a bit of guilt.

"Chiaki, it is important for you to understand," Stresemann continued, "that when you become honest about these sorts of things which concern you and Nodame, you must not do this just to clarify the past. Solving the issues the two of you had in the past is a good start – "

"'A good start?'" his protégé repeated in wonder.

Stresemann merely flashed him a very small grin before saying, " – to fixing this slightly strange disagreement you have."

"It isn't exactly a disagreement," Chiaki argued. _I think_, he added.

"But you should know that mending the wounds you've inflicted on each other isn't enough to get everything back to normal," said Stresemann, ignoring what Chiaki was saying. "You _are_ getting better, I'll have you know. You've become clear about the past. But now what you must learn is to be clear about the things which will shape your future."

"_My_ future?"

"Ah, well. . ." Stresemann began. "That depends entirely on you. The things brought about in the future are the results of the choices you make."

"Don't you believe in fate?" Chiaki found himself asking.

To his complete surprise, Stresemann let out a loud, booming sort of laugh.

"All the years of my life, I've been wondering about the meaning of that word," said Stresemann, "though until now, I am utterly clueless. . . . I _do_ believe that God has already planned everything, even the things that haven't happened yet. However, the big problem is that He also created us humans to become stubborn and silly creatures. When we somehow get a clear grasp of what the future has in store for us and we don't like it, we do everything we can to avoid it. Isn't that already what you call 'making choices for ourselves?'"

Chiaki stared at his maestro and murmured, "Giving up your vices _has_ changed you. You've turned into an intellectual."

"I've always enjoyed philosophy," insisted Stresemann. "Or, at least, I've always enjoyed thinking about things which might _pass off_ as philosophical. Back then, I was just always too drunk all the time so you never got the chance to see that side of me."

_He never fails to amaze, does he?_ Chiaki thought, his mouth forming a smirk.

"I must admit that I'm not an expert when it comes to fate and destiny and other things like that," Stresemann said, "but I am confident that God meant for you to end up with Nodame."

_Really. . ._

Chiaki scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Why am I not with her, then?" he asked.

"Because it was your choice not to be with her," replied Stresemann in such a simple manner that it made Chiaki feel even more irritated. "Wasn't it your decision to break up and to lead separate lives?"

Chiaki turned his eyes away.

"There's a reason why Nodame was given to you," Stresemann went on, changing the subject.

"What reason?"

"God knew you were the only person capable of catching up with her in her frenzied little world."

"It isn't that little," said Chiaki. "It _is_ frenzied, though."

Stresemann beamed at him and said, "Seeing as that's the case, doesn't it show that you're quite crazy yourself?"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I thought Chiaki and Stresemann's conversation was a little too long. What do you think?

In case you're interested, the painting in Kiyora's apartment is supposed to be a reproduction of Marc Chagall's _Écuyère aux Colombes_. In the film _Notting Hill_ (which made a very significant cameo in this fic), Hugh Grant's character William Thacker owned a reproduction of one of Chagall's most famous paintings _The Dream_ while Julia Roberts's character Anna Scott owned the original work of art.

I'm not exactly sure if the song "_Mi Mancherai (Il Postino)_" is literally about the love story of a young postman and his childhood sweetheart. I just based everything I wrote here on the lyrics. However, there _is_ an Italian film entitled "_Il Postino_" (or "The Postman" in English), which was released in 1995. It tells the story of the poet Pablo Neruda and his friendship with a fisherman who also delivered his mail. However, the song's lyrics don't seem to be related to either Neruda or the fisherman, so I'm sticking to my own interpretation!

I would also like to acknowledge leeleefic because I got an idea from her _One Piano Sound, One Girl_ concerning what Stresemann had to say in this chapter.

I am trying to refrain from apologizing too much because I am by no means making any progress when it comes to keeping my mouth shut. What's the point of apologizing when you still do something over and over again anyway, right? ;-)

I would love to hear what you have to say.


	29. Lesson 29

**LESSON TWENTY-NINE**

The R S Orchestra members all huddled together in a large circle in the Musikvereinssaal's lobby during the 15-minute intermission. The lobby was gradually becoming much more constricted as the audience came out of the main theater. It seemed as though all of the people coming out of the intricately-decorated wood doors of the concert hall were whispering excitedly to one another.

"As expected, Chiaki-kun's level has really become high," Katayama pointed out in a suave manner, fixing his bangs like he always did.

"What are you saying?" retorted Masumi. "Chiaki-sama's level has _always_ been high!"

"He's really done well for himself over the past years, hasn't he?" said Maiko with a smile. "This performance with the Vienna Philharmonic somehow sums up the great career Chiaki-kun has developed."

"Don't forget," Kikuchi reminded, "that we've only just watched the first part of the concert. There's still the second half to look forward to."

"And Chiaki-kun will be playing Borodin's Polovetsian Dances next," said Takahashi, his voice brimming with delight. "This will be the perfect opportunity to show off his sexiness and charm."

"'_Sexiness and charm?!_'" Masumi shrieked as he held out his hands and attempted to wring Takahashi's neck.

"Kiyora-chan was amazing with the violin concerto too!" Kaoru piped in.

The others nodded enthusiastically.

"Mine-kun must be so proud of her," said Yuki. "She's become really famous over the years too, hasn't she?"

"It's surprising that the violin concerto was the first piece in the programme," Kimura pointed out. "Isn't a concerto usually the piece for the finale since it's supposed to show off how good the soloist is?"

"But this performance isn't meant to show off Kiyora-chan's skills," explained Maiko. "Chiaki-kun is the big star being showcased tonight."

"_Aizawa Maiko!_" Masumi suddenly snapped. "You're making it sound like Chiaki-sama's an animal that we're supposed to gawk at in a zoo!"

Mine, who had just joined their circle, said loudly, "Oi, Masumi, don't be so sensitive."

"Where have you been?" asked Kimura.

"I went off to the restroom and on the way out, I ran into an old friend," Mine replied.

"Was it the Samurai?" inquired Kaoru.

"No, I haven't spotted Kuroki yet," said Mine. "It was Stresemann."

"'_STRESEMANN?!'_" exclaimed the orchestra members in unison.

"Does he still look the same?" Hashimoto asked.

"Well, he's never really looked like the Stresemann we've always seen in the pictures," Mine answered in a joking manner, "but I know it was really him. . . . And guess who accompanied him all the way to Vienna!" he added in a low but excited voice.

"Who?" asked Moe.

"It's Rijichou!" Mine said, grinning.

"The chairwoman of Momogaoka Music Academy?" Kikuchi asked in a puzzled tone. "Do they know each other?"

"She was his ex-girlfriend!" replied Masumi, whose anger had quickly been replaced by enthusiasm.

"Eh?!" many of the others shrieked.

"Was it because of her that Stresemann went to Japan back then?" Tamaki asked.

"Yeah, probably," said Mine, "but I don't know any of the details."

Just then, a woman's voice issued from somewhere above them and resounded throughout the lobby.

"_The second portion of tonight's performance will resume in five minutes. Please return to your seats immediately._"

As they all made their way back into the theater, Masumi spotted Sakura lagging behind the others. Her eyes were staring down at the floor and there was a downcast look on her face.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" asked Masumi, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

After a moment, Sakura said in a gloomy voice, "All this time, I didn't know. . . that the Vienna Philharmonic was an all-male orchestra."

"What are you talking about?"

"_Hasn't it always been my dream to enter the Vienna Philharmonic?!_" Sakura bawled. "Now, all my hopes are dashed!"

Masumi sighed and said assuringly, "Chiaki-sama is the very first Asian person to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic. It means you might have a chance too! There's always going to be a first time. Who knows? You might be the first female member of that orchestra too!"

"Do you think I can make it?" asked Sakura, staring up at Masumi with a pitiful look in her eyes.

"Don't lose hope, Sakura-chan," Masumi said, smiling.

Sakura nodded and smiled back at him.

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"Franz, he is absolutely amazing," said Rijichou to her companion as they made their way back to their seats. "Ever since he was a student, I had no doubt about his talent."

"It's a good thing that his talent was further developed by _me_," Stresemann put in, flashing her a smug grin.

Rijichou laughed and continued, "I knew you'd say that. . . . Miki Kiyora is incredible too. Who would have thought that two students from Momogaoka would be performing with one of the world's greatest orchestras?"

"Are you happy, Mina?" asked Stresemann.

"Of course I am," Rijichou answered. "I can't properly express how immensely proud I am. Those two have achieved so many wonderful things. And besides that, I'm so glad you invited me to watch this performance with you."

"Anything for you, Mina," Stresemann said as he took his companion's hand and kissed it lightly. "Anything at all."

"Franz, you never change," sighed Rijichou, blushing. "Even though you've always been saying that you're a 'changed man' lately," she added with a warm smile.

"I still haven't lost my touch, have I?" Stresemann replied with a wink.

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"Even though they haven't heard the Borodin and the Stravinsky yet, the audience already thinks you're incredible."

Chiaki jumped in surprise and saw Königsberg standing at the doorway of the dressing room. The old man smiled broadly at Chiaki and walked over to where he was sitting in front of a large mirror.

"What did _you_ think. . . of the first two pieces?" asked Chiaki.

"The Tchaikovsky was brilliant," Königsberg replied in a straightforward manner. "You made the right choice when you picked Ms. Miki to be the soloist. It was only the first piece in the repertoire, but I already found myself crying."

"What about the Prokofiev?"

Königsberg paused before saying, "The VPO doesn't perform those kinds of pieces very often. I'm sure you're aware of this. It's still a little too early to determine it, but I think this performance will somehow pave the way for this orchestra to make more adventurous repertoire choices."

Chiaki sighed with relief.

_I thought the Prokofiev was going to damage the VPO's reputation_, he thought. _And mine._

"At first, I believed we were going to have problems with you, Mr. Chiaki," Königsberg admitted. "You're very different from all the others who have had the chance to conduct this orchestra. You are very young and, though it's obvious that you always think about things carefully before you do them, you seem to be the type who likes a bit of excitement. You're very fond of challenges, aren't you?"

"I think they help test my patience," said Chiaki.

"Oh!" Königsberg exclaimed. "Did the VPO test your patience?"

"No, not really," replied the guest conductor quickly. "They weren't a problem at all."

"I'm glad you think so," said Königsberg. "And I am very grateful that you agreed to perform with the VPO."

"But the performance isn't over yet," Chiaki reminded him.

"I wasn't talking about the performance," continued Königsberg. "I was only expressing my thanks to you for accepting our invitation."

_Dammit_, thought Chiaki irately. _And I was starting to believe that he was actually grateful to me._

After a while, Königsberg laughed and said, "Really, Mr. Chiaki, can't you even take a simple joke?"

Chiaki's face broke out into a small smile.

All of a sudden, the concertmaster entered the dressing room and announced, "It's time to go back on stage, Maestro Chiaki. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Chiaki replied, immediately standing up and straightening his tie.

Königsberg stood up too.

"Do your best," he said, nodding at the concertmaster.

"We always do, sir," the concertmaster replied with a smile.

"I'll return to my seat, then, shall I?" said Königsberg.

Both the concertmaster and Chiaki nodded.

"See you both later," Königsberg added before he left the dressing room.

Chiaki turned to the concertmaster, who looked at him rather anxiously.

"Don't look so worried," said Chiaki, smiling at him. "It's time to enjoy music."

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Chiaki felt as though he had turned deaf when he made his final bow to the audience. He could see the thousands of people in the audience standing up and wildly applauding, though he couldn't hear the sound of even a single clap. This was often how he felt right after a performance. He could not explain it. Did he just _feel_ that he was deaf? Or was it all because of the deafening dynamics produced by the orchestra's instruments?

_Maybe I just can't believe that I'm standing on this stage_, he decided, _in front of thousands of people with the Vienna Philharmonic just standing behind me._

He was overwhelmed. It wasn't just because it was only then that the fact that he had conducted the VPO was finally sinking into his mind, but because he did not expect such a fantastic reaction from everybody who had watched his performance. He knew how great his talents were and he admitted that he was quite self-confident, but ever since he had been informed that he was going to conduct that orchestra, somehow he did not believe that he was cut out to perform with such a prestigious group of musicians. He already had enough experience to be regarded as one of the greatest conductors in the modern classical music scene, but he didn't think he could handle that particular conducting stint. He had even told himself that he felt like somebody who had been given an incredibly heavy load which his hands couldn't carry.

But now that everything had come to a close, he was relieved to know that all his hard work had paid off. He was even relieved that all the worrying and the fussing he had been doing over the past several weeks had been worthless. He understood at that moment that he didn't even need to worry about a single thing. Everything had gone and was still going according to his plans and in exactly the way he expected it to turn out.

_No, wait_, he said to himself. _Did she receive the ticket I sent her? And if she did, did she actually come to watch me?_

All at once, his eyes started scanning the audience for a familiar set of wide enthusiastic eyes and pouting lips, though he knew for himself that he would never be able to spot her among the multitudes of faces in front of him.

_Perhaps she'll come round backstage to talk to me_, he thought hopefully.

The person Chiaki had been searching for in the audience was actually standing somewhere in the fifth row. She, like everybody else around her, was clapping her hands feverishly and yelling at the top of her lungs her own share of "bravos", though she knew that her voice would never be heard over the thunderous applause. Tears were continually flowing down her blushing cheeks but she refused to wipe them away. Many of the people around her were actually beginning to recognize who she was and a group of young music lovers who were just standing near her started whispering excitedly.

"Isn't that Megumi Noda, the pianist in the Golden Pair?"

"I thought she'd be in London by now. She has a tour with Jean Donnadieu next month, right?"

"It seems like she's found the time to watch her other half perform with the Vienna Philharmonic."

They all giggled and made stolen glances at the pianist, who seemed to be completely unaware of them.

_I _must _talk to him now_, she thought determinedly. _We need to have a real conversation. This time, I'm ready to answer all of his questions and I know exactly what I have to say to him. If Nodame doesn't do this now, Nodame will never try doing it ever again._

She made a resolute nod and briskly headed for the exit doors, but suddenly a forceful hand grabbed her by the arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"_Hagya!_" she gasped.

Nodame turned around and saw that it was Elize, who bore a slightly incredulous expression on her face.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Elize.

"I want to pay Senpai a visit backstage," Nodame replied, managing to get herself out of her manager's grasp. "It will only take a while – "

"No," said Elize, who took hold of her arm again. "We are going to the airport to catch a flight at 11:45 and it's already a quarter to 11. The next flight to London is at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Can't I take that flight instead?" her client insisted.

Elize tightened her hold on Nodame and replied, "I'm not changing my mind. You'll be performing live on the BBC 6 Music station tomorrow night so you should at least practice the pieces while you still have some time."

Nodame pouted and glared at her manager crossly.

_How will I ever convince this woman to choose me over Chiaki?_ Elize asked herself, trying to think quickly of a plan.

In about a minute, her eyes widened.

_I should have thought of this a long time ago_, she thought.

"Besides," said Elize, "you just might run into Ilsa if you go backstage."

"Who's Ilsa?" Nodame asked, tilting her head to one side in confusion.

"She's Chiaki's wife, remember?"

_She'll definitely come with me to the airport for sure._

Nodame averted her eyes and muttered, "Let's go and catch that flight, then."

Without another word, Nodame scurried out of the Musikvereinssaal with a dismayed air about her, leaving her manager to catch up with her.

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Kikuchi Toru was standing outside the door leading to the backstage of the theater. He and his fellow R S Orchestra members, as well as other foreign well-wishers, were waiting for the backstage doors to open so that they would be able to meet Chiaki in his dressing room. He noticed that many of the people around him were holding cameras and even bouquets of flowers.

_Are the flowers for Kiyora or Chiaki?_ he thought in wonder.

He also saw that there were many very beautiful young women standing close to him. However, there was one girl in particular whom he found greatly pleasing to observe. She was standing just a few inches away from him. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and deduced that she was quite good-looking, though he believed that she had put too much makeup on and that her clothes had too many striking designs on them and were mismatched. Nonetheless, he found this woman rather intriguing.

_I wonder. . . . Have I seen this girl before?_ Kikuchi asked in his mind. _She looks slightly familiar._

He cleared his throat in the hope of attracting her notice, though it seemed as though her mind was wandering elsewhere. Another glance at her pretty (albeit heavily made-up) face was enough for Kikuchi to tell that she seemed to be growing impatient for the backstage doors to open.

_Is she actually one of Chiaki's fans?_ he thought. _She doesn't even look excited to be here._

"Excuse me," began Kikuchi in German as he turned to face the woman.

Once again, she didn't pay him any attention.

_Maybe I should try French_, Kikuchi decided.

"Might I have the honor of finding out the name of this beautiful woman in front of me?" he asked in his most debonair voice in French.

The girl slowly focused her eyes on him and asked rather irritably, "Were you talking to me?"

"Yes," Kikuchi replied. "May I know your name?"

To his surprise, the woman rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

_This is a stubborn one, I see. . ._

"You're not from around here, are you?" he continued.

After a long moment, she turned around to completely face him and replied, "What do you want from me?"

"I would just like to find out what brings you here," said Kikuchi, taking care not to forget his suave style of speaking.

"I came to watch the performance," the girl replied bluntly.

Kikuchi thought he heard her say something like "_Duh!_" in an undertone. He grinned and went on, "I meant, what brings you here outside the backstage? Have you come to see Shinichi Chiaki?"

"Well, yes," she said, "but right now I'm just waiting for my boyfriend."

_So she has a boyfriend_, Kikuchi thought. _Too bad. . . . This will be a little harder than I expected._

"Why?" he asked. "Where did he go?"

"He went off to the restroom," explained the girl, who seemed to be slowly becoming more comfortable having a conversation with a stranger. "But he told me some of his friends came to watch the performance too, so maybe he ran into one of them."

"Do you know Shinichi Chiaki personally?"

"Yes, he was my neighbor for several years in this apartment complex in Paris," the woman continued. "That was back when I was still a student."

"So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm an office clerk, but I used to be a piano teacher."

"Ah, so you're in music too!" Kikuchi exclaimed.

"I _was_," the girl corrected him, emphasizing the last word.

_I daresay she's _very _stubborn._

"You're French, aren't you?" asked Kikuchi.

"No, I'm not," she answered simply.

Before Kikuchi could ask his next question, the woman shrieked, "Ah, Yasu! Over here!"

A tall and rather strong-built Japanese man strode over to her and said, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Kikuchi's eyes widened.

"_Kuroki-kun?!_" he gasped.

The man turned to him and exclaimed in a voice which betrayed his utter surprise, "Kikuchi-kun! I thought all of you already left."

"Er, no," replied Kikuchi hurriedly. "Not yet."

_So her boyfriend's the Samurai? Damn, this is really going to be hard. . . . I might as well give all of this up._

"Yasu, you know this person?" asked the girl almost disbelievingly.

"He's one of my old friends," Kuroki replied. "How did you two meet?"

"We haven't even known each other for five minutes," the woman said abruptly. "He hasn't even told me his name."

"I'll introduce you properly, then," volunteered Kuroki. "Tanya, this is Toru Kikuchi." With that, he gestured at his friend.

Kikuchi flashed her a bright smile.

"Kikuchi-kun," Kuroki began, "this is my girlfriend Tatiana Vishnyova."

Tanya made a forced smile and said, "Please call me 'Tanya.'"

"Of course," said Kikuchi, extending his hand towards her.

Tanya shook it but let go of it rather quickly.

There was a long moment when none of them said anything, until Tanya exclaimed, "You're the cellist who won the Tortelier Competition two years ago, aren't you?"

_I had no idea that he was _the _Toru Kikuchi_, she thought disappointedly. _Back then, I even thought he was rather good-looking. . . but it turns out that he's just some womanizer._

"Yes, I am," replied Kikuchi, who seemed surprised.

Just then, the backstage doors flew open and everybody waiting outside, except for the three of them, rushed inside.

"I'll go on ahead," Kikuchi announced. "It was great to see you again, Kuroki-kun. I hope we'll see each other again soon. It was very nice to meet you, Tanya," he added, nodding at Kuroki's companion.

Kikuchi quickly went backstage, leaving Kuroki and Tanya standing outside in the nearly empty lobby.

"Shall we go in, then?" asked Kuroki, glancing at his girlfriend.

"All right," Tanya said.

Before they went past the doors leading to the backstage, Kuroki turned to her and asked, "What did you two talk about?"

"You don't want to know," murmured Tanya. She quickened her pace as she went down the long corridor and did not say anything more for the rest of their trip to Chiaki's dressing room.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** For this chapter, I decided to write short conversations between various characters instead of my normal long ones which are usually chats between Nodame and another character or Chiaki and another character or Chiaki _and_ Nodame. This was because, as I've said before, I wanted to include as many characters in the story as I possibly could.

Was anybody out of character?

Your comments are welcome.


	30. Lesson 30

**LESSON THIRTY**

In his dressing room, Chiaki leaned back on the sofa and let out an exhausted sigh. He had just posed for his last picture and signed his last autograph for the very last fan who visited him backstage. He couldn't remember exactly how many people went all the way to his dressing room just to see him up close, though he guessed that there were about a hundred and fifty of them. Most of the people who had come round to talk to him were merely fans, though a few of them were old acquaintances and friends. He had to admit that he was quite pleased when he saw that nearly all of the original members of the R S Orchestra, as well as Momogaoka's chairwoman, paid him a visit backstage. Jean Donnadieu, his wife Yuko, and the Japanese conductor Katahira Hajime, all of whom he met when he joined the Platini Conducting Competition, also made it a point to congratulate him. Even Tanya and Franck came round to have even just a short conversation with him. After everybody had already gone, Chiaki felt like the only person who didn't bother to visit him after the performance was the one he had most wanted to see. Every time his dressing room door would open to let the next visitors come in, his heart raced with anticipation at the thought of Nodame bursting into the room. However, even after all the fans and old friends had left, she was nowhere in sight.

"_Dammit_," Chiaki muttered almost breathlessly. He was incredibly irritated, though his fatigue was too much to let his anger trigger anything more than a whispered curse or an expression of pain in his eyes.

_She probably didn't even come_, he thought. _She'll never know what I went through just to get her that seat. That damn _hentai_._

Chiaki felt a slightly painful sensation on his shoulders and neck. He tried to massage his weary shoulders with one hand but decided to stop after he noticed that the pain in his muscles was only increasing. After a moment, he was also starting to get a throbbing headache.

He groaned and glanced at the clock placed above the huge mirror. It read "2:06 AM."

_I was hoping that if she had come, we would have been able to talk_, he reasoned to himself, _which is exactly what we need to do._

All of a sudden, he heard Stresemann's words again.

_"__The things brought about in the future are the results of the choices you make."_

A cold feeling of dread swept over Chiaki's body.

_Did Nodame make a choice not to watch my performance?_ he thought. _Is it because everything that I've been thinking about all this time is true? That she really doesn't want me in her life anymore? That she doesn't wish for me to be a part of her future?_

"Chiaki-kun!" he heard Kiyora's voice calling from outside the door.

Temporarily distracted from his thoughts, Chiaki stood up and opened his dressing room door. Standing in front of him were Kiyora, who was carrying several enormous bouquets of roses, and Mine, who was holding on to his wife's violin and a large bag from which score sheets and cosmetics were sticking out of the opening.

"We're going home," Kiyora announced. "Do you want to join us on the way out?"

"There's a convenience store around the corner where we can buy something to eat," said Mine. "You must be hungry."

Chiaki hesitated before replying, "I think I'll stay behind for a while."

"Are you sure?" Mine asked.

All Chiaki did in answer was nod.

"Take care of yourself when you go home, Chiaki-kun," said Kiyora. "Good job, by the way. You did great tonight," she added, beaming at him.

"So did you," Chiaki said, making an effort to smile back at his friend.

"Ryu, I'll go ahead and get us a taxi," Kiyora told her husband as she hurried down the long corridor, leaving the two men by themselves.

"Send me a message when you get home, okay?" Mine said in an anxious tone. "I don't want to get all worried again like last time."

Chiaki rolled his eyes and continued, "Idiot, you always panic even when there's no reason for you to."

"Well, you're my best friend, aren't you?" Mine piped in. After a moment, he continued, "So how are things going on between you and Hugh Grant?"

"Huh?"

"_Nodame_, stupid," said Mine. "I can't believe you've forgotten all about it."

The expression on his face made it appear as though he wanted to set down all the things he was holding and hit Chiaki on the shoulder.

"_You_'re the one who's stupid," Chiaki argued. "It's Nodame who's Julia Roberts and _I_'m Hugh Grant."

"No, no, that's not what I said. I clearly told you that you were Julia Roberts and Nodame was Hugh Grant. Do you think that just because you're a man, you're supposed to represent the man in the movie – ?"

"I watched _Notting Hill_ again, you know," interrupted Chiaki. "When I listened to the song again. . . I realized that it was really _me_ who was Hugh Grant."

"What are you talking about?" Mine retorted. "Why would you be Hugh Grant? You're supposed to be the famous one, aren't you? And what's that song you're saying?"

"The song at the beginning of the film," said Chiaki. "'_She_.' In the movie, that song was talking about Julia Roberts. When I listened to it, it reminded me of Nodame. Isn't that what you wanted me to remember?"

Mine seemed to be lost for words. He stared into Chiaki's face for several long and rather awkward minutes before a wide smile appeared on his lips.

"Congratulations," he said, holding out his hand to Chiaki.

"What?" asked Chiaki in utter bewilderment, though he shook his friend's hand anyway.

"The song may have been talking about Nodame," Mine continued, "but you're still Julia Roberts. And don't argue with me about that anymore. It's final," he added when Chiaki was about to say something again.

Chiaki sighed.

_I might as well play along with his games_, he thought resignedly.

"See you around, Julia," said Mine, winking at Chiaki before making his way down the corridor.

_Idiot_, thought Chiaki as he looked on at his best friend. His face gradually broke out into a grin when he watched Mine's familiar shock of messy blond hair disappear from view as he turned a corner.

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"The Ritz Hotel, please," said Elize as she got into the backseat of a cab which she hailed just outside the arrival terminal at London's Heathrow Airport.

"Isn't the other lady coming?" the driver asked, motioning at somebody standing outside the cab.

It was Nodame, who was still rooted to her spot just several inches away from the small but rather imposing black TX1. She was staring up at the dark and starless sky, her eyes wide open with wonder and her lips jutting out. Her facial expression made her look like a child who was seeing the night sky for the first time in her life.

"_Nodame!_" Elize called sharply from inside the cab. "Get in! It's getting late."

"Ah, it's already quite early," said Nodame brightly, making a small smile at the sky before hopping into the backseat next to her manager.

"You never make any sense, do you?" Elize said, heaving a tired sigh.

"She does, Ma'am," the driver suddenly put in. "You see, it's already half past two in the morning."

Elize frowned and refused to say anything more. Nodame, though, seemed pleased and let out a giggle. The driver glanced at her from the rearview mirror and grinned.

"You're both foreigners, right?" continued the driver as he headed for the highway exit.

"Yes," Nodame replied at once. "I'm Japanese and my manager here is German."

"'Manager,' eh?" asked the driver. "Are you an actress?"

"I'm a pianist," answered Nodame.

"You can't be the Japanese pianist who'll be touring all over the country next month, can you?" the driver exclaimed. "Are you Megumi Noda?"

Nodame smiled shyly and said, "Yes, I am."

"Blimey, this is too good to be true!" said the driver. "My daughter's been one of your greatest supporters since the very beginning."

"Really?!" Nodame asked in an excited voice. "Is your daughter a pianist too?"

"She's studying to become one," answered the driver. "Actually, it's her first year at the Royal Academy of Music. I almost thought we wouldn't afford the tuition fee since those sorts of schools are more expensive to enter than normal universities, so we actually told her to be ready to give up her dream of becoming a pianist – "

Nodame's eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth in shock.

" – but then the Academy sent us a letter saying that they were going to grant her a full scholarship! I hope you don't mind me saying it, but I'm so proud of my daughter," the driver added in a half-embarrassed half-proud tone.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Nodame gasped, clapping her hands. "She's going to fulfill her dream after all."

"I hope so," agreed the driver. "I know it's difficult to get into the professional field. . ."

"My manager can take care of your daughter after she graduates from music school," said Nodame assuringly. "She's a great manager. She plans lots of activities for me. It can be a bit tiring at times, but in the end you won't mind being exhausted after all the concerts because you know you got the chance to perform and make people happy with your music."

"Will she really be my daughter's manager?" the driver asked somewhat anxiously.

"There are no guarantees to that," Elize answered immediately in an icy tone.

Nodame pouted at her.

After a while, Elize added, "But maybe I'll think about it."

She made a small grin at the driver, who was looking at her from the rearview mirror.

"Tell your daughter she better work hard," continued Elize as she turned her eyes away to stare out the window. "When I hear the way she plays, she should be good. . . . In fact, she should be _very_ good. Otherwise, I won't let her work for my agency."

"Are you serious, Madam?" the driver asked, a flicker of hope glinting in his eyes.

"She still has a few more years at the Academy to prepare, hasn't she?" said Elize. "Maybe I'll come round after three years to look for an extraordinary pianist there. We'll see if she's the one we're looking for."

"_Mukya!_" Nodame yelped, jumping in her seat gleefully. "You're the best, Elize!"

"Here," Elize went on, taking out a calling card from her coat's inner pocket and handing it to the driver. "If she _does_ get into my agency, don't think I'll make it easy on her. I do not tolerate mediocrity."

"Thank you so much," said the driver, making a grateful smile.

All of them remained silent for several minutes until the driver pulled over in front of a large cream-colored building with intricately-designed stone walls and the words "The Ritz Hotel" shining in bright neon lights above the massive entrance doors.

"Here we are," the driver announced.

After Elize gave the driver a few Pound notes, she and Nodame stepped out of the cab.

The driver rolled down his window and said, "I wish I'd get a picture with Ms. Noda, but I don't have a camera on me."

"There's no need for a picture now," Nodame said. "Anyway, we'll be seeing each other again in a few years when your daughter and I start working together," she added with a huge beam.

The driver grinned back at her.

"Thank you so much," he said. "It was wonderful to meet both of you."

With that, he rolled up his window again and drove away.

"Let's get inside, Nodame," said Elize as soon as the cab escaped their sight. "You need to rest now."

Nodame nodded and they both stepped inside the warm and lavishly-decorated lobby of the Ritz.

As they went into an elevator, Nodame asked, "Elize, why did you give your calling card to him? It's very unlike you."

"What do you mean?" inquired Elize sharply, though her tone was neither angry nor impatient.

"Back then, didn't you usually listen to the performances first before getting people as your clients?" said Nodame. "You only considered getting Senpai as your client after he won the Platini Competition. And you only got Nodame after you heard her first concerto."

"What are you saying?"

"Well, you've never heard the cab driver's daughter play before. . . . You've never even met her."

Sighing, Elize said, "I am assured that that young girl is definitely somebody noteworthy."

"Eh?"

"She's a Royal Academy of Music scholar, isn't she?" said Elize almost nonchalantly. "Do you know how many students in that school are actually granted scholarships?"

"Oh, how many?" Nodame asked in a childishly curious voice.

"Too few," answered Elize, "that it almost guarantees you that whoever gets those scholarships must be the most promising of them all."

"That's great, isn't it?" Nodame piped in.

"Huh?"

As they stepped out of the elevator and slowly headed for the penthouse on the third floor, Nodame turned to her manager and said in a contented tone, "You did a good thing today, Elize."

Elize couldn't help but stare at her client in surprise. Within minutes, a smile appeared on her lips.

"It's very rare for you to be kind," continued Nodame in a murmur, "and you hardly give complements and you always look like you think I play the piano very badly, so this must be a very special day!"

Elize's smiling countenance immediately turned into one of growing fury.

_This woman_, she thought irately.

"'Special day?'" she asked in a rather frightening tone as she opened the door of the penthouse. "If that's what you want, I'll give you a 'special day,' all right. . ."

"Elize, what's wrong?" asked Nodame, her mouth protruding. She cowered slightly upon seeing the anger gleaming in her manager's eyes.

As soon as the door opened, Elize hurled Nodame into the penthouse and slammed the door shut. She heard a muffled "_Gyabo!!!_" as she turned around and made her way to her own room.

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"Are you ready, Ms. Noda?"

"What?" asked Nodame absentmindedly as she was escorted into the main office of the BBC 6 Music station by one of the radio channel's personnel.

"Are you ready?" the personnel repeated.

"Ah, yes, I suppose. . ." Nodame replied in the same vague manner.

The personnel stared at her in bemusement for a few seconds before continuing, "Anyway, the programme will start in about 30 minutes. The host will interview you for the first ten minutes and introduce you to the audience. After that, you'll be playing your piece. It's '_Miroirs_' by Ravel, right?"

Nodame merely nodded.

"Have you brought your sheet music?" asked the personnel, checking if she had brought anything with her to the station.

"'Sheet music?'"

"The music score or whatever you call it," the personnel said hurriedly.

"Oh, I see. . . . No, I have it all memorized," answered Nodame in a confident manner. This time, she looked directly into the man's eyes and flashed him a smile.

The personnel seemed somewhat impressed.

"After you finish performing, the host will ask you a few more questions," the personnel went on, "then you'll be given about a minute to promote your tour next month. By the way, there'll be a microphone placed above the piano. We'll turn it on during the interview portions so you don't have to stand up and move around a lot."

"I understand," said Nodame.

"Do you have any more questions?" the personnel asked before he led her down a narrow corridor, where the studios were located.

"Let me see. . ." Nodame began, her eyes screwed up in deep thought. "Ah! Will there be snacks after the programme?"

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Chiaki lifted his face from the pillow and opened his tired eyes. He felt as though he had only been asleep for several short hours before he was woken by the faint smell of –

_Chicken curry?_ he thought curiously. _For breakfast?_

He let out a low grunt before sitting up on the bed and observing his surroundings. His bedroom was still rather dark, but he knew it was due to the fact that the thick curtains were still completely covering the windows.

_I wonder what time it is._

He reached over to the bedside table to grab his wristwatch, but he sighed heavily when he saw that it wasn't there. Though he was still a bit sluggish, he started lifting up the sheets and the pillows to look for it. After a moment, he found his watch lying a few inches away from his feet. A quick glance at it told him that it was already 3:25 in the afternoon.

_So the curry isn't for breakfast_, he said to himself. _It's lunch._

"_Dammit_," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair in one frustrated motion. His headache was starting to come back again.

After a moment, he heard a loud rumbling issuing from his stomach. He realized that he had not eaten since the previous afternoon. Now very much aware of how hungry he was, Chiaki climbed off the bed and trudged out of his room.

When he was starting to become more alert, he glanced down at his clothes and found that he was still wearing the outfit he had used during the performance the previous night. His belt was still secured around his black trousers and even his necktie was still in place. His white polo-necked shirt was wrinkled all over the place, particularly in the midriff.

"Did you rest well, Shinichi-sama?" asked the housekeeper when she saw her master slowly going down the stairs.

_It was pretty long_, Chiaki thought, _but not necessarily well._

By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, his head was already throbbing in pain. He was about to ask the housekeeper if she had any medicines for headaches, but he found himself saying, "I'm hungry."

"Oh, it would be hard to believe if you weren't," the housekeeper said with an amused smile. "Come into the kitchen, then. I'll get your food ready in a minute."

Chiaki followed her into the kitchen and planted himself on one of the stools next to the kitchen counter. He spotted a large radio placed a few inches away from him on the counter.

"What's this?" he inquired, pointing at the radio.

_It looks brand-new_, he thought. _I wonder where they got it._

"Seiko-sama sent it here by mail," explained the housekeeper as she started preparing Chiaki's lunch. "It just arrived yesterday. She said in a letter that came with it that it's one of the latest models. She told us it's only being sold in Japan at the moment. We've never tried it out yet. Would you like to be the first to?"

Chiaki stood up and plugged the radio into the nearest socket before sitting back down on his stool and turning it on. Almost immediately, he heard a female voice speaking in rapid English coming out of the speakers. It seemed like she was talking about the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal's recent win at the US Open.

"Shinichi-sama, please turn up the volume!" exclaimed the gardener, who had just entered the kitchen from the back door. "I've been watching the US Open this past week. It's been a very exciting season."

"Were you rooting for Nadal?" Chiaki asked as he increased the volume of the radio.

"Actually, I wasn't," replied the gardener rather sadly. "I've always been a supporter of Federer, but I must admit that Nadal _is_ the younger and faster player. Anyway, I'm happy with this year's outcome."

"Here's your curry, Shinichi-sama," the housekeeper said, setting down a plate filled with rice and delicious-looking chicken curry in front of her master. "Would you like some curry too?" she added, turning to the gardener.

"No, thank you," replied the gardener quickly. "Maybe a little later when I've finished sorting out the shed. I've been looking for the large shovel all day, but I just can't seem to find it. . ."

The gardener's voice trailed off as he went out into the garden again through the back door.

Before Chiaki started eating his food, he changed the channel to BBC 6 Music, a British station which was broadcasted in Austria through a satellite. It was a station which usually played pop music, but once in a while it also had classical music programmes.

"Welcome back to _Timeless Classics_, the weekly BBC 6 Music programme for classical music aficionados," Chiaki heard a male voice say. "Last week, we got the chance to spend a few hours with the Eder Quartet – "

"The signal is so clear, isn't it?" said the housekeeper. "And to think that the BBC radio station is all the way in London. . . . Technology does make things so much easier for us, though I can never really learn to understand it."

Chiaki couldn't help but smirk as he swallowed his first bite of the curry. He felt his headache gradually going away.

"How was the concert last night, Shinichi-sama?" the housekeeper continued.

"It was great," replied Chiaki. "The Vienna Philharmonic was brilliant, of course. And I got to see some of my old friends afterwards."

"Really? Are you talking about Mine-san and his wife?"

"Mine was there because Kiyora performed with me last night," Chiaki explained. "But I was referring to my friends back in Japan, the people I met while I was still a student. Some of the people I've worked with in the past were there too. I saw Jean, as well."

"Jean Donnadieu?!" exclaimed the housekeeper in an enthusiastic voice. "Is he just as handsome in person as he is on television?"

_How do you expect me to answer that?!_ Chiaki thought incredulously.

"So have you enjoyed your stay in London thus far?" he heard the male voice on the radio ask.

"Oh, definitely!" replied a female voice. It was a rather childlike sort of voice and its English was lightly accented.

"What places have you been to already?" the male voice continued.

"I've already gone to watch several plays at the West End. I liked _The Phantom of the Opera_ the most. I watched it at Drury Lane last Saturday. I also spent an entire day walking all around Harrods. It's such a big, fancy department store! I went to the Tower of London the other day too. It was a bit scary, but going inside of it was exciting! I also went to Buckingham Palace the other day. The palace guards were just standing completely still so I tried my best to make them laugh, but they didn't seem to notice me. They didn't even look at me once! I really like the big hats they wear. When you see them from behind, the hats make them look like tall penguins! _Mukya!_"

Chiaki choked on his food and motioned for the housekeeper to give him a glass of water. After he downed the entire glass in one sitting, he managed to say, "That's Nodame on the radio."

"How exciting!" said the housekeeper, smiling at him. "But are you all right now, Shinichi-sama?"

Chiaki nodded and without another word, focused intently on the radio. He didn't notice the housekeeper leave the kitchen.

"This afternoon," the male voice began, "Ms. Noda will be treating us to an hour of piano music. She will be performing Maurice Ravel's '_Miroirs_,' a five-part suite for piano. Ravel was one of the most influential French composers of the late Romantic period. His melodies are very Impressionistic, though the structures of his compositions are noted for being Classical in style. Many of his pieces also have jazz infusions, a notable influence of one of his friends the American composer George Gershwin. This afternoon, Ms. Noda will play the five movements of the suite '_Miroirs_' in this order: '_Noctuelles_,' '_Oiseaux Tristes_,' '_Un Barque sur l'Ocean_,' '_Alborada del Gracioso_,' and '_La Vallée des Cloches_.' Now, to perform Maurice Ravel's '_Miroirs_,' here is Megumi Noda."

Chiaki felt his heart beating fast.

_Will she play this piece the same way she played at her recital in July?_ he thought anxiously.

His heart continued to race as he heard the beginning of the movement entitled "_Noctuelles_." It was a brisk and energetic melody with many notes and constantly changing dynamics. Nodame was playing it very lightly and softly, though it became louder whenever it was meant to be played loudly. It was obvious that she knew exactly what she was playing and that she understood it well.

_This is exactly how Ravel would have wanted it to be played_, thought Chiaki. _But there's something a bit strange. . ._

His eyes suddenly widened. Was it his imagination or did he just hear several trills?

_Ravel didn't do trills_, he said to himself. _His work had an abundance of arpeggios and grace notes. But not trills. If that's the case, then those trills must be. . ._

To his own surprise, Chiaki's face broke out into a smile. His heart was still beating fast, though it wasn't because he was nervous. He was no longer worried and he did not feel any more dread. Rather, the reason his heart was still racing was because he felt a strange excitement as he continued listening to her playing. It was as though he was eagerly anticipating what she would play next. It was the sort of excitement he felt the first time he ever heard her play and every time she played after that. It was the thrilling rush of emotion inside of him which appeared whenever they performed together as the Golden Pair.

He knew that somehow it had disappeared during her recital a few months ago, though he really couldn't find any reason to worry about that any longer. His thoughts about the recital, the fears he felt at that time, were now forgotten. He had finally stopped mulling over the reasons why Nodame could have changed her playing style. It did not matter at present and he knew that it would never matter anymore. All that mattered was that she was the old Nodame again, the Nodame he knew so well, the Nodame he had fallen in love with (and was _still_ in love with, even until then).

He quickly brushed away the tears which had been pouring out of his eyes.

_Idiot_, he thought, the smile on his face widening. _You're back._

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** What a long chapter! I hope you didn't get bored.

I'm not exactly sure what genre the BBC 6 Music station broadcasts, but I'm quite certain it isn't classical music. That's why I decided to add the fictional _Timeless Classics_ programme. ;-)

Actually, I wanted Chiaki's "realization" to happen while he was listening to "_Alborada del Gracioso_," the fourth movement of "_Miroirs_" and probably the most famous part of the entire suite. That movement was the very first piece Nodame ever played when she and Chiaki arrived in Paris, so I thought it would be better for the "realization" to occur then because of the significance of the piece. However, since it's the fourth movement, I thought it would be too long before Chiaki's "realization" happens, so I decided on the first movement instead. Did I even make sense with what I just said?

Since this fic is set some time in the future, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will probably not be that popular anymore by then. But since they're two of the biggest tennis stars at the moment, I decided to mention them anyway. To be honest, I really wanted to put in the Scottish player Andy Murray, but he isn't as famous as the other two just yet.

Haha, I'm talking too much again.

All your comments are very much welcome.


	31. Lesson 31

**LESSON THIRTY-ONE**

"So what do you think of the Strauss waltzes, Shinichi?" asked Barenboim. "Do you think '_The Blue Danube'_ would make the best finale piece out of all of them? The '_Vienna Bonbons Waltz'_ seems pretty good too. . . . Shinichi, are you listening?"

Chiaki jumped in his seat.

"Yes," he replied at once. "'_The Blue Danube'_ is perfect for the finale."

Barenboim stared at him quite shrewdly and heaved a sigh. The two of them had been discussing their plans for Chiaki's next performance with the Chicago Symphony the following Thursday and so far they had decided that the repertoire would consist entirely of Johann Strauss's waltzes.

Chiaki had just returned from Vienna the previous day, though he urged Barenboim to arrange a meeting between them immediately. Barenboim had told him that he was deserving of even just a short break from work, but the young conductor couldn't seem to find "no" a sufficient answer.

_Maybe all those weeks he'd spent around Rolf made him transform into the same overexcited and persistent fellow_, Barenboim had said to himself. _I'm not exactly sure if I like this Shinichi._

Barenboim's bewilderment was further increased when the new and "overexcited" Chiaki he had been expecting to see during the meeting appeared to be completely distracted and lost in his own thoughts.

"Shinichi, I thought you told me you wanted to have this meeting," said the music director.

"I did."

"Then why does it look like you're just dying to get out of my office?"

"No, not at all. . . . I was just wondering if the '_Treasure Waltz'_ would be a better choice than '_Voices of Spring_,'" Chiaki lied.

Though he would certainly not admit it to his companion, Chiaki had really only been thinking of Nodame during their entire meeting. He could not take his mind off of her and of the fact that her playing was back to normal. His thoughts even lingered on the painful possibility that she might not have even made it to his performance in Vienna. However, that contemplation was always instantly replaced with his happy thoughts about her piano. He understood that even though she had told him that she didn't need him when it came to her music, she had also said that it would be unimaginable for her _not_ to need him.

_She never makes any sense, does she?_ thought Chiaki, a smile appearing on his lips. _That idiot._

If he had to be completely honest to himself, the only reason he had forced Barenboim to have a meeting with him was because he was looking for a way to make his thoughts drift elsewhere. Chiaki knew he was going back to his "obsessive phase" and he honestly didn't want that to happen again. That was why he thought it would be a brilliant move to talk with Barenboim about his next performance. At least, it would momentarily distract him from his musings. Or so he thought.

The instant both of them agreed on an all-Strauss programme, Chiaki started thinking of her again. He knew that when the name "Strauss" came to mind, the waltz was always going to be associated with it. And Chiaki knew that the waltz was something he could easily associate with _them_. Even when they were still students, they were both immensely keen on waltzes. Chiaki remembered that at times when he felt an odd surge of utter happiness inside of him, he would take Nodame into his arms and, without thinking twice, lead her in a waltz. He recalled how it was he who had always been the better dancer and how Nodame used to always tread on his feet or make awkward movements.

_It's been a while since we've danced the waltz_, he said to himself in amusement. _Has she found the time to improve over the past years? Or has her dancing become worse without me as her partner?_

Chiaki was completely unmindful that he had just let out a rather loud laugh.

"You must be in love," Barenboim suggested, staring at him with an expression that was a mixture of delight and anxiety. "I guess there's no helping that. . ."

"What?" asked Chiaki, all at once snapping out of his reverie.

_I should stop thinking about her_, he thought irately. _Right now, I should be thinking about the music and my job as the principal conductor of this orchestra –_

"You know, if you really want to watch Megumi's tour, you should just say so," Barenboim said, interrupting Chiaki's thoughts.

"Huh?"

_It can't be that obvious that I'm thinking about her_, thought Chiaki. _Can it?_

"Shinichi, you only have four more performances until the season ends," continued Barenboim. "The one next Thursday and the other three the week after that. When all those concerts are over, it's the assistant conductor's turn to administer the orchestra until the end of the year. Since Megumi's tour is until the last week of November, that gives you plenty of time to watch her perform."

"Hold on," Chiaki began, his mind now completely focused on their discussion. "I thought I was supposed to conduct the orchestra until the end of November."

"I decided to change the schedule," said Barenboim simply, "because even though Victor's the assistant conductor, he's never had the chance to conduct the orchestra since January. When you took your leave of absence during the summer, we got Frans Brüggen to be the guest conductor for an entire month. And during the time you spent in Vienna, Zubin Mehta filled in for you. I think it's a good idea for Victor to get more opportunities to conduct, so I'm giving him the entire November schedule."

Chiaki couldn't seem to find anything to say. He was surprised and even almost angry that Barenboim did not inform him beforehand about the change in the performance schedules. However, he was also rather pleased because it meant that he would definitely get to watch Nodame perform during her tour in the UK.

_Can it be that Barenboim decided to shorten my schedule so that I would get to watch Nodame's tour?_ Chiaki thought, inwardly smiling. _After all, if he didn't change my schedule, I wouldn't be able to go to London at all. Honestly, this old man. . . . He never misses a trick, does he?_

"Then perhaps I should just make the most of the performances I have left of me," Chiaki put in, pretending to sound indifferent.

Barenboim laughed and said, "Has there ever been a time when you _didn't_ make the most of a performance?"

"I guess not."

"Go to England, Shinichi," Barenboim went on. "I know you want to. . . . And besides, nobody's stopping you."

_I must have been really obvious a while ago_, thought Chiaki regretfully. _Dammit._

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"Are you ready to leave?" Oliver asked. He was leaning against the doorway of Nodame's dressing room, watching her stuff all of her belongings into her bag in haste.

"Yes, I am!" replied Nodame brightly, saluting to him. To emphasize her point, she held up her bag to show Oliver that all of her things were already inside it.

Oliver could see crushed bouquets of bright flowers and crumpled scores peeking out of the bag.

"Do you want to find a place to eat before we go back to the hotel?" he inquired as the two of them made their way out of the dressing room.

"Oh, absolutely!" said Nodame. "I had lunch yesterday at this wonderful Indian restaurant across the street. It's a 24-hour fast-food place but the food is authentic Indian cuisine! I'd love to go there again. . ."

After a moment, Oliver asked, "Did you have fun tonight?"

Nodame nodded enthusiastically.

"I had lots of fun with the London Symphony and Jean!" she answered. "It was only the first leg of the tour, but I already enjoyed it so much. Ah! Tomorrow, we'll be going off to Manchester for the next performance with the Hallé Orchestra, right? I'm very excited!"

"The Madam instructed me to take you back to the hotel as soon as you finish having dinner," said Oliver.

"Hmm. . ." Nodame mumbled vaguely as she pursed her lips. She added after a while, "Oliver, let's go back to the stage!"

"Why?"

"Nodame wants to step on that stage one last time," explained Nodame, staring up into her bodyguard's eyes with a strange solemnity about her.

Oliver couldn't do anything but nod in agreement.

Almost immediately, Nodame rushed down the hallway and opened the door leading to the wide stage. It was still brightly lit and all of the chairs and music stands on it were still neatly arranged, though there were several score sheets scattered all over the floor. The massive Yamaha grand piano was placed at the very front of the stage, where it had been in full view of the entire audience during the performance earlier that evening. At that time, the concert hall was ringing with the thunderous applause of the audience. However, once everybody was gone, a stiff and deafening sort of silence hung in the air.

"It's too quiet," murmured Nodame.

After a moment's hesitation, she sat down in front of the piano and rested her hands on the keys. Oliver planted himself on the concertmaster's chair and folded his arms.

"Don't play anything too long," he reminded.

Nodame nodded and, without thinking on it further, started playing a short piece by Erik Satie entitled "_Je te veux_." It was a pretty and happy piece which conjured pictures in her mind of Paris and its sights and sounds. Its simple, sweet melody transported her all the way to the Eiffel Tower, which had always been the first thing she saw in the morning when she looked out her apartment window, and the Champs Élysées, where she spent her days strolling lazily down its cobblestone sidewalks. The somewhat wistful quality of the piece reminded her of the sidewalk cafés she frequented and the streets lined with dozens and dozens of fruit, vegetable, and flower stalls where she used to walk everyday. She thought playing that piece would make her joyful by evoking memories of her home, but in fact it almost hurt her to even think of it.

She missed Paris, which had been her home for more than ten years. She missed everything about it: the places, the food, and the people. She especially missed Tanya and Franck. She had not been to Paris for over five weeks and she knew that she wouldn't be returning there for at least two more long months.

_At least_, she thought as she played the last few notes, _Nodame will have this piece to remind her of Paris. . . even if it makes her sad._

But was it really Paris that she missed? Or was it the person who had brought her to Paris in the first place?

_I wonder how Senpai's doing_, she thought. _He did so well during the concert in Vienna last week. I wish I had gone backstage to talk to him._

She sighed as she played the very last arpeggio, a slow and gentle succession of keys that formed a high-pitched chord which sounded like the twittering of birds on a cool spring morning.

_Senpai. . . . It was because of you that I went to Paris and made it my home. And now, I miss it so much._

Nodame made a small and rather melancholic smile when she finished the piece.

"I miss Paris too," a voice echoed loudly in the theater.

Nodame started in her seat and jerked her head in the direction of the audience to see if anybody was there. She beheld a tall person enveloped in half-darkness standing near the exit doors. When the person walked closer towards the stage, Nodame was able to see that it was a young man who seemed to be in his early 20s. He had maize-colored hair which fell to his shoulders and a jolly look on his face.

Nodame's eyes widened in surprise when she recognized who the young man was.

"_Hagya!_" she shrieked, instantly standing up. "Lucas?!"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Did the young man seem familiar to you too?

Though this chapter is rather short, I hope you enjoyed it!

I thought Chiaki was a bit out of character just then, although I wanted to show the daydreamy and distracted side of him which we don't often see.

By the way, Victor is a character I created. He's supposed to be the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's assistant conductor, but I'm not really sure if I'll give him any major appearances in this fic. There are already so many characters to begin with.

In case you're interested, "_Je te veux_" means "I want you" in French.

I just realized that I made a serious mistake in this story. In Lesson 28, Oliver was in Vienna with Elize and Nodame. In Lesson 29, after Chiaki's performance, Elize and Nodame went back to London by themselves. So the big question is: Where the heck did Oliver go?! This will be rather troublesome, so I'm not going to add in this fic that Oliver's gone missing because that would only lengthen the story even more. Let's just pretend that Oliver went back to London ahead of them (without watching Chiaki's performance). But then again, what would have been the point of Oliver going to Vienna if he didn't even watch Chiaki's concert with the VPO? Haha. I can't believe this. I forgot all about Oliver. And to think that I adore him so much. Do you realize that I'm actually talking to myself? My insanity is starting to show. ;-)

I would love to hear from you! (I'm sure you've heard enough from _me_.)


	32. Lesson 32

**LESSON THIRTY-TWO**

"What are you doing in London?!" Nodame squealed excitedly as she ran over to where Lucas was standing in the aisle next to the first row seats.

"I came to watch your performance," replied Lucas simply. He widened his smile.

"Nodame hasn't seen you in such a long time!" Nodame said, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Lucas seemed quite startled, though he embraced her back.

"You did wonderfully tonight, Nodame," put in Lucas when they let go of each other.

Nodame beamed at him. After a few moments, she continued, "Did you come all the way from Venice?"

"I did," Lucas answered.

"Ah, but classes have already started, right?" said Nodame, her mouth forming a pout.

"Haven't I told you? I resigned from my teaching post at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory about a month ago."

"Eh?" Nodame exclaimed. "Then where do you work now?"

Lucas chuckled and said, "I'm jobless. Right now, I just want to take a break from everything for a while. That's why I decided to take out all the money I've earned and saved up over the years and use it to give myself a long and refreshing holiday. I went to Vienna a few weeks ago, actually. Then I decided to go back to Venice before I came here to watch your performance. Maybe next week I'll go visit my parents in France. You know, sometimes I'm beginning to think that this is a kind of _early retirement_."

"Oh, Lucas," Nodame said, "you're still so young to be saying those sorts of things."

"I'm not that young anymore," muttered Lucas, a knowing expression in his eyes.

"You're not thinking about quitting music, are you?"

"Of course not," Lucas assured her. "I just want to take some time out from work, to _settle down_," he added, making sure to emphasize the last two words.

Nodame sighed and went on, "I suppose you _have_ grown up. Look at you! I almost didn't recognize you with your long hair!"

"Well, I don't want you to still think of me as a puny and innocent schoolboy," said Lucas. He added in a low tone, "Especially not when I want to – "

"_Gyabo!_" Nodame yelped all of a sudden, caressing her stomach. "Nodame is _so_ hungry! Lucas, do you want to join Oliver and me for dinner?"

"What?" asked Lucas, who was taken aback. "Well, sure. . . . I'd love to."

"Great!" Nodame said with a smile. "Come on, let's hurry! Nodame's stomach waits for no one."

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"Jean, your performance was amazing. I don't think I've ever heard any Haydn symphony as beautiful as the one you did with the London Symphony."

"You flatter me too much," said Jean, staring at his wife's face tiredly though a hint of a smile appeared on his lips.

Neither of them spoke for a while, until Jean whispered, "Time to go to bed."

He kissed Yuko lightly on the forehead before adjusting his pillows and settling himself in a comfortable position on the bed. As he pulled the covers up to his chin, he heard the person beside him let out a feeble groan.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Jean. . ." began Yuko. "I'm fertile during this time of the month."

"Huh?"

"Now is the perfect time to conceive!" Yuko insisted, clutching onto her husband's arm tightly to show how serious she was.

"I'm tired, Yuko," said Jean, heaving an exhausted sigh as he buried his face in his pillow. "You should get some rest too. We'll be heading off to Manchester very early tomorrow."

He was just about to doze off when he heard Yuko say softly, "Don't you want to have any kids, Jean?"

Jean hesitated before answering, "We could always settle for adoption."

"But don't you ever want to experience having a child of your own?"

"Isn't an adopted child considered 'a child of our own' too?" asked Jean. Had he not been so tired, the frustration in his voice would have been extremely evident.

"Even if we decide to adopt," Yuko continued, "it won't be the same as having a child that I actually carried inside of me for nine months. . . . You wouldn't understand, Jean. You're not a woman – "

"I understand completely," said Jean. "I know how much it means to you to have a baby. But isn't it about time for us to give up?"

"Why?" Yuko asked feebly, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. "Have you really given up on me?"

"Yuko, we should be realistic. You've already gone through three miscarriages. Don't you think that's a sign for us to stop?"

"But I want us to be happy," insisted Yuko amidst her sniffs. "I want us to have a family."

"We _are_ a family," Jean continued. "We're a family that's made up of a husband and a wife. And who says we're not happy with the way we are now?"

"You've always told me that you wanted to have a baby because it would make our family complete. The fact that my body can't support one kills me."

"I said that it would make us complete," said Jean, "but I never told you that I wasn't happy with just the two of us."

Yuko suddenly sat up on the bed and hid her tear-stained face in her knees.

"I didn't marry you because I wanted to make babies out of you," Jean went on, following suit and sitting up on the bed. He put a comforting arm around his wife.

"But you still wanted babies anyway," said Yuko peevishly as she continued sobbing into her knees.

"Now's not the time to worry about that," Jean said. "Besides, there are a lot of things to be grateful for. We're happily married, aren't we? There are some people who are single and they don't seem happy at all, even though they try to hide their sadness with smiles and laughs. Take Nodame for instance."

All at once, Yuko lifted her face to look at her husband. Jean saw that she had already stopped crying. There was a wicked sort of twinkle in her eyes and her quivering lips were gradually widening into a smile.

"At least I've defeated that woman in that particular aspect," she murmured with a sigh of satisfaction.

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Chiaki slumped onto the oversized plush couch in Barenboim's office and heaved a weary sigh. He had just dismissed the orchestra from a long, hard day of practice. That day, the rehearsal started at exactly 7 o'clock in the morning and ended at around 5:45 in the afternoon. The "_Treasure Waltz_," as well as the other waltzes entitled "_Tales from the Vienna Woods_" and "_Roses from the South_," had proven difficult for the Chicago Symphony to master (or rather, to play according to the way Chiaki wanted the pieces to be played). As a result, Chiaki had the orchestra go through nearly 11 straight hours of practice without any breaks. Because Chiaki had been the principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony for over four years already, the orchestra had by then become accustomed to day-long rehearsals and the presumption that their conductor didn't know the meaning of the word "rest." By that time, none of them complained any longer. Chiaki didn't seem to think it was a problem either, but on certain days exhaustion eventually found its way into his system. That very day was one such instance.

"Did you have a stressful day?" inquired Barenboim, glancing at him for only a split second before returning to his work on his computer.

_As if you need to ask_, Chiaki thought.

He leaned back on the couch and let his head rest on the top. After a moment, he shifted uncomfortably upon feeling a slight tingling sensation moving back and forth across his shoulders.

_Dammit, my back hurts._

"Were you able to finish practicing all of the pieces?" Barenboim went on.

"We've read through everything," said Chiaki, speaking at last. "'_Tales from the Vienna Woods_' needs some work, though. The flutes are having some problems producing the sound I want."

"Well, what sound do you actually want to hear?"

"It should be gentle, even almost fragile," Chiaki explained. "I want it to sound like bluebirds singing at sunrise."

"'Bluebirds singing at sunrise?!'" exclaimed Barenboim, laughing heartily. "Shinichi, you really must be in love. You're turning into a poet! This can't be Rolf's doing, can it?"

"Huh?" asked Chiaki, scowling.

_I better apply some hot compress to my back when I get home_, he said to himself. _I should find something to eat too. I'm starving._

"You obviously have a clear understanding of the waltz," Barenboim put in. "Are you fond of dancing?"

"Not really."

"No?" asked Barenboim in wonder. "You seem to have an affinity to it. . . . I sat in during your practice the other day and I thought _The Blue Danube_ was superb. It was quite lovely, to be honest."

"That's just one piece," Chiaki said. "There's still a lot of work to be done. I don't understand why 'the most flexible orchestra in the world' is having problems with Strauss."

Barenboim sighed before replying, "Strauss is the music of the amorous and the infatuated."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Chiaki, staring at the music director with a baffled look on his face.

"It's music for people who are in love, Shinichi," Barenboim explained. "People like you."

"I am no such thing," argued Chiaki in a resolute voice.

Barenboim opened his mouth to say something, but instead he let out a sigh.

"Have you thought about when you're going to watch one of Megumi's performances?" he asked after several minutes.

Chiaki paused before saying, "I was thinking of watching her concert with the London Philharmonic on the 25th of November, but I haven't bought a ticket yet."

"That's the most anticipated of all her performances, isn't it?"

"Perhaps. . ."

"I heard it's a sold-out concert," said Barenboim almost casually.

Chiaki's eyes widened, but he tried his best not to look too disappointed.

"You know," Barenboim began, "it's a good thing I managed to get a ticket."

"You did?" said Chiaki in a defeated tone.

_I should have been quicker_, he thought, angry at himself. _Everything I've done for her has always been done too late. Even then, I always put my job before her. Nothing has changed about that at all. Dammit, I'm the worst._

Barenboim's voice awoke him from his contemplations.

"It's rather unfortunate that I won't be able to go to London in November," he said.

"Why not?" Chiaki demanded.

_How could he miss such a great opportunity to hear Nodame play?_

"I completely forgot that I'm supposed to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the first week of December," said Barenboim, "which means that the previous week is meant to be devoted solely to rehearsals. I'll just give you the ticket, then, shall I?"

"Are you serious?" Chiaki asked, hope growing inside of him.

"I know you really want to watch it," Barenboim said with a smile as he pulled out a thick piece of perforated paper from one of the folders on his desk. He handed it to Chiaki.

The young conductor took it and saw that it was a ticket to Nodame's concerto with the London Philharmonic. There were two small pictures printed on the ticket: one was a photo of Jean and the other one was of Nodame. Even though the picture was rather tiny, Chiaki could clearly see the ends of her unkempt hair sticking out in odd directions. He had to smile.

"Just think of it as my advanced Christmas gift to you," suggested Barenboim.

"Are you sure you want to give this to me. . . for free?" Chiaki asked unsurely. "I'll pay for it."

Barenboim chuckled and said, "I'm not _that_ poor, Shinichi."

_But hearing her play the piano is worth every cent that was paid for this ticket_, Chiaki reasoned.

"You won't regret it?" asked Chiaki almost inaudibly.

"Why would I?" Barenboim said. "Besides, I bought that ticket especially for you."

"What?"

_Did he really mean to give this ticket to me?_ thought Chiaki. _So that I would definitely be able to watch Nodame's performance? But why would he even do that?_

"Shinichi, it's the least I can do," Barenboim put in. There was a meaningful expression in his eyes.

"The least you can do for what?" inquired Chiaki, more puzzled than ever.

_Is this "gift" meant to be a bribe or something? What exactly would he want from me, anyway?_

All Barenboim did in answer was laugh.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Somehow I feel that there's a missing "element" in this chapter, although I just can't put my finger on it…

I just realized that I made another mistake in Lesson 29 when Kuroki said, "Kikuchi-kun! I thought all of you already left." If you base it on the way Kuroki said that sentence, it would seem like Kikuchi was standing by himself outside the backstage doors. However, I _did_ mention at the beginning of that portion that Kikuchi was "standing outside the door. . . [with] his fellow R S Orchestra members." So the big question this time is: Where the heck did the other orchestra members go?! I've just noticed that so many characters went missing during Chiaki's performance with the Vienna Philharmonic. I wonder what was going on inside my head when I wrote that bit.

I'd love to know what you have to say about this fic.


	33. Lesson 33

**LESSON THIRTY-THREE**

"It's so good of you to accompany me to the airport, Franz," said Rijichou with a smile that further enhanced her already beautiful face.

"I have nothing else to do here in Vienna anyway," Stresemann assured her. "I guess that's what comes of retirement. _Too much time on one's hands_," he added, winking.

Rijichou laughed softly as she hailed a taxi outside her hotel. When the taxi halted in front of the hotel's entrance, the two of them got into the backseat.

"Wien-Schwechat Airport, please," Rijichou told the driver.

As soon as the taxi started moving again, Stresemann asked, "Did you have fun?"

"Of course," replied Rijichou. "Music is something which I've always found enjoyable."

"I'm glad your time away from that school of yours wasn't wasted."

"Not one bit, Franz."

For a few moments, the only sound that could be heard inside the taxi was the soft rumbling of the engine and a crunching noise whenever the driver shifted gears.

"When I was watching Chiaki-kun perform on that stage," Rijichou said all of a sudden, "I remembered something you told me a long time ago. . . . When you had just met Chiaki-kun, you said you wanted to do two things for him. The first thing you told me was that something had to be done in order for him to leave Japan and go off to Europe. That problem was obviously solved."

"It wasn't _just_ solved," put in Stresemann. "He's become a worldwide sensation!"

"Well, I guess so," Rijichou said in agreement.

"You mentioned 'two things,'" said Stresemann. "What was the other thing, then?"

"At that time, you told me that something had to be done about _another_ student. I still don't understand what you meant by that, though."

"Ah. . ." began Stresemann. "Well, the other student I was talking about was Noda Megumi."

"So even then, you knew that one way or another she was going to be famous too?"

"I've never doubted her abilities," Stresemann explained. "From the beginning, I always knew she had it in her. But when I said that something had to be done about _her_, I meant that in relation to Chiaki."

"Why?" inquired Rijichou with a curious look in her eyes. "Were they already aspiring to become the Golden Pair when they were just students?"

"Yes," Stresemann answered simply. "That's always been a dream that both of them have shared. They've always wanted to perform with each other on the same stage, to make beautiful music together. . . . But that dream didn't end with just the music. There was more to that than just a simple piano concerto."

Rijichou's eyes widened as she asked in a hushed tone, "Were they. . . romantically involved?"

"What they had was a slightly vague relationship," said Stresemann, "although it was a relationship nonetheless. Anybody with eyes and ears could have seen and heard for himself."

"Why were you so concerned about their relationship, Franz?" Rijichou asked. "Was it because Chiaki-kun was your lone pupil and you cared for him so much?"

"You could say that," replied Stresemann. "It could also have been because I care a lot about Nodame-chan too. But what really drove me to find a way for them to stay together was _experience_."

"'Experience?'"

"I didn't want them to end up like us, Mina," said Stresemann gravely.

Rijichou remained silent and only stared at her companion's face with a sad expression on her face.

"We couldn't have helped it," she said after a while. "It was for the best. It was for both of our sakes, wasn't it?"

"I know," Stresemann said. "I've already had more than enough time to think of it. . . and I'm not asking you to rekindle whatever feelings we had for each other back then. I'm too old for that now," he added, making a small smile.

Rijichou smiled back at him.

"I just didn't want them to make the same mistakes and feel the same regrets that we did," continued Stresemann.

Rijichou sighed and asked, "Their relationship at the moment is purely professional, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately," Stresemann answered.

"Will there ever be another chance for those two?"

"It'll take some time," said Stresemann, "but the key to it is really just simple. All they have to do is get rid of their pride and their fears."

"That's not the easiest thing to do, Franz," Rijichou said.

"Unfortunately," repeated Stresemann, letting out a heavy sigh.

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"Oh, Elize!" Nodame wailed. "_Are you seriously not staying to watch the rest of the tour?!_"

"You aren't the only client I have," said Elize in a final tone. "I have a lot of things to do and a whole year's worth of activities to plan, so I need to go back to Frankfurt as soon as possible."

She was seated on the floor of her hotel room, where she was busy folding all of her clothes and placing them in the open suitcase in front of her. Her client Nodame was on the large bed, lying on her stomach while heartily devouring a bag of chips.

"Then it will be only Nodame and Oliver from now on," Nodame mumbled pitifully in between bites.

"What's the problem with that?" demanded Elize. "Back then, you used to go to all sorts of places around the world to perform by yourself. It didn't used to be a big deal if I was there or not."

"Then how come you accompanied Nodame in Hong Kong?" asked Nodame in the same feeble voice. "Why did you go to Vienna with her too? And why did you join her during her UK tour?"

Elize rolled her eyes and answered after a long pause, "I only chose to stay with you this time because you've been a bit _frail_ lately."

"What does that mean?" Nodame asked. "Do you think I'm a weakling or something?"

She ventured a glance at her manager, who was too busy sorting her belongings to notice tears forming in Nodame's eyes.

"It's Chiaki's fault," continued Elize in a calm voice. "Those concerts you had with him in Chicago last May did something to you."

"Senpai has nothing to do with this," Nodame insisted. "And there is nothing wrong with me."

"Then why have you been crying almost everyday for the past few months?" asked Elize. "You've even been mumbling his name over and over in your sleep. Don't think that I'm not aware of this."

Nodame hung her head and did not say anything in answer.

"Last year," Elize continued, "it didn't matter that much to you if you didn't get to see Chiaki that often. Exchanging e-mails and paying each other phone calls was enough for you. Why is this year so different?"

When Nodame didn't answer, Elize finally looked up at her. She beheld her client lying facedown on the bed. Though Nodame's face was hidden from view, Elize could hear her sobbing and sniffing into the thick blanket.

"Nodame," began Elize tiredly, "don't be like this. You're going to perform with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra tonight. You need all the strength you can get. The only thing you're doing now is wasting your energy by crying over stupid, meaningless things. Look at me," she added in a stern tone.

Nodame slowly lifted her tear-stained face to look at Elize.

"You have to be brave," Elize continued, staring directly into her client's puffy eyes. "You must not let the audience know what you're going through right now. You're an emotional performer and that's why the audience can easily tell what your feelings are just by hearing you play. Tonight, you mustn't let them hear what's going on inside your heart."

"I can't," whispered Nodame before she let out a wail.

"Why are you like this?" Elize asked. "What exactly did he do to you?"

She paused before going on, "Did something happen between you two in Vienna back in July?"

Nodame nodded.

"Tell me what happened," said Elize forcefully.

"Senpai. . . asked me to marry him."

Elize's eyes widened.

"He did?" she asked as a smile crept onto her lips.

Nodame merely nodded again.

"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" asked Elize in disbelief. As if coming to a realization, she continued in a faster voice, "You said 'no,' didn't you?"

Nodame buried her face in her hands and refused to speak.

"Why in the world did you refuse his proposal?" Elize went on in the same incredulous tone. "All these years, you've been dreaming of spending the rest of your life with him and now you've made a decision that you're going to regret forever! How could you do this to yourself?"

"Well, he didn't exactly propose," muttered Nodame rather sheepishly through the gaps in between her fingers.

"What?"

"He told Nodame that he had wanted to marry her and Nodame said she would."

"Wait a minute," said Elize. "Did you just say 'he _had_ wanted?'"

"Yes."

Elize heaved a weary sigh and returned to her packing. After several minutes of silence, she said, "Nodame, you have to understand that he hasn't actually asked you yet."

"How do you know that?"

"We're talking about _the_ Chiaki Shinichi, aren't we?" asked Elize. "He's not somebody easily understood. You know this."

"That's why Nodame's having such a hard time," Nodame said. "Senpai is never clear about anything."

"You know, you're also only making things worse for yourself," Elize went on in a tactless manner. "That's the problem with you. You always assume too much."

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door.

"Why don't you see who it is," suggested Elize, stuffing a pair of stockings into her suitcase.

Nodame slowly got up from the bed and walked over to the entrance. When she opened the door, Oliver strode in.

"Have you been crying?" he asked, seeing the nearly dry trail of tears on Nodame's cheek.

Nodame fervently shook her head.

"Ma'am, would you like me to escort you to the airport?" Oliver continued, this time turning to Elize.

"Sure, I'm almost done," said Elize as she zipped up her suitcase.

She got up from the floor and straightened the creases on her blazer and skirt. Oliver took the suitcase and rolled it out of the room without another word.

"Remember what I told you, Nodame," Elize said, throwing her client a knowing look before going out the door.

Just as she and Oliver were about to head for the elevators, they heard Nodame's shrieking voice fill the hallway.

"_Elize, wait!!!_"

Elize stopped walking and turned around to face Nodame, who was running towards her.

"What is it?" asked Elize. "Did I forget something?"

"Haven't you always said that you wanted me to end up with Senpai?" Nodame asked suddenly.

"Maybe," replied Elize, taken aback by the question.

"Why do you always discourage me, then?" Nodame went on, the anger in her voice becoming evident. "Why do you make me feel like there's no hope left for me?"

Elize appeared to be lost for words.

"Don't tell me what to do with my life anymore, Elize!" said Nodame. Her lips were quivering, as though she were about to burst into tears again.

"Are you telling me that you're leaving my agency?" Elize asked, successfully keeping herself composed.

"No!" replied Nodame in an almost savage sort of voice. "But there are boundaries that Nodame wants to set between us!"

"'Boundaries?'" asked Elize, rolling her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"_Dammit_!" Nodame shrieked, causing both Elize and Oliver to jump in surprise. "Don't boss me around anymore! I'm not a baby, Elize!"

"Nodame. . ." Elize began.

"And don't involve yourself in my plan to get Chiaki-senpai back," continued Nodame, "because you're not helping!"

She pouted before running back into the hotel room, leaving both Elize and Oliver completely bewildered.

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

"Let's get inside, Ma'am," said Oliver.

All Elize did was nod.

"You should listen to her, you know," Oliver went on as soon as they got inside the elevator.

"Don't forget that you still work for me," snapped Elize, scowling at him. "Therefore, there are boundaries that are supposed to be set between us."

Oliver couldn't help but smirk.

"That means you can't order me around," Elize continued.

"With all due respect, Ma'am, I do believe Noda Megumi is not a woman to cross."

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"You look so handsome, Jean!" exclaimed Yuko upon seeing her husband in his brand-new cream tuxedo, which she had bought for him in London.

"I have to thank you for buying this for me," Jean said, smiling at her. "The color suits me, doesn't it?"

"Of course!" piped in Yuko. "That's the reason why I got it!"

Jean glanced at his watch and muttered, "The performance is going to start in less than 30 minutes. I wonder why Nodame isn't here yet. . ."

"She must be having trouble getting dressed," Yuko suggested.

She stood up from the couch and peeked out of Jean's dressing room door to see if a familiar head of disheveled reddish brown hair was in sight. However, the hallway was deserted.

"Didn't Elize leave for Berlin just after lunch?" asked Jean. "Maybe Nodame sent her off."

"Jean, it's already 8 o'clock in the evening," Yuko reasoned as she took her seat again. "The trip to the airport shouldn't have taken that long."

"I'm here," mumbled Nodame, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Her untidy locks were even messier than usual and there were dark circles under her eyes. She was wearing a pale blue gown with a laced-up bodice, although some of the laces were tied messily or otherwise still undone.

Both Yuko and Jean started.

"Thank goodness you've arrived!" a relieved Jean put in.

"Nodame, you're a complete mess!" Yuko shrieked. "What in the world did you get yourself into?"

She rushed over to Nodame and started fixing the laces on her bodice.

"You haven't even put any makeup on yet!" continued Yuko. "We have to hide those eye bags of yours. And something has to be done about your hair."

Jean sat down on a chair in front of the large dressing room mirror and observed his wife applying a thick amount of concealer underneath Nodame's eyes, which had a disturbed sort of expression in them. This made him worry.

"Nodame, are you all right?" he asked concernedly.

All Nodame did in answer was nod.

"She looks like she hasn't had a decent sleep in ages," said Yuko, glancing at her husband tiredly. After a moment, she announced, "There, she's all done. The eye bags are still slightly noticeable, but the audience probably won't notice it. As for the hair. . . . Well, it really can't be helped."

"It's fine, Yuko-san," Nodame said in a voice that seemed like barely a whisper. "Nodame is glad that you helped."

Suddenly, one of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra members popped his head into the dressing room and said, "We're about to begin the concert. The orchestra members have started going onto the stage. Please get ready."

"We'll go out in five minutes," Jean told him simply.

The orchestra member nodded and left immediately.

"Are you ready, Nodame?" asked Jean, looking at his pianist sympathetically.

"Yes," was the answer.

"We can make the audience wait a bit if you want to stay backstage a little longer," Jean went on.

Before either Jean or Yuko knew it, Nodame suddenly perked up and said in a resolute tone, "Why do they have to wait for me? They came here to enjoy Nodame's music, didn't they?"

Jean was about to say something, but he found that there were really no words to express how shocked he was at Nodame's sudden change of behavior.

"Let's go, Jean!" said Nodame loudly as she strode out of the dressing room. "The show must go on!"

After a second, she added, "_Gyabo!_"

"Really. . . . What is it with that woman?" Yuko sighed, placing all of the cosmetics back into her pouch.

Jean made a bewildered sort of beam at his wife before following Nodame onto the stage.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another short chapter!

I wanted Nodame to be a bit more assertive in this chapter to show that she's somehow "finding her voice." Just think of it as a dormant monster that's beginning to wake up. Of course, this just complicates the story even more. ;-)

Your comments are highly appreciated, as always.


	34. Lesson 34

**LESSON THIRTY-FOUR**

"I just know I messed up during the concerto tonight, Oliver. I just know it."

"It wasn't that bad. Don't think so lowly of yourself."

"_Gyabo_, I know Jean will hate me for doing so horribly tonight. Maybe he'll force his manager to cancel the rest of the tour. . ."

Nodame downed her fourth pint of beer and set it down on the tabletop with a loud belch. After her performance with the Royal National Scottish Orchestra that evening, she begged Oliver to take her to a pub just a few blocks away from the theater. Her bodyguard had been firm in telling her that it was no good for her to get drunk when they still had to travel all the way back to London for the next leg of the tour the following morning. However, something in the heartbreaking expression in Nodame's eyes got the better of him and Oliver consented to take her to a pub called McCoy's.

"One more pint, Oliver," moaned Nodame, who already looked nauseous. "Tell the bartender to give me another pint."

"No, you've already had too much."

Nodame protruded her lips and drooped her shoulders.

"Oliver, please. . ." she said almost breathlessly.

"No," replied Oliver simply as he stood up from his seat. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel."

"Ah!" Nodame exclaimed all of a sudden, grabbing the sleeve of Oliver's coat. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If it has something to do with beer, I won't answer it."

"_Oliver!_"

"All right," said Oliver, making an exhausted sigh. "What is it?"

Nodame took a deep breath before asking, "Would you be willing to do whatever it is you're doing right now for the rest of your life?"

"Trying to convince a drunk world-famous pianist to get some rest?" Oliver asked. "Not at all."

"Oh, please take Nodame seriously," pleaded Nodame in a peevish manner.

As Oliver pulled out his wallet and handed several pound notes to the bartender, he said, "I don't really understand your question."

"I'm talking about your work, your profession, the thing you do for a living. . ."

There was a long pause before Oliver answered, "I've always wanted to be somebody who protects somebody else. At first, my dream was to become a soldier but then I realized that I wanted to be something a little simpler than that. So I decided to be a bodyguard."

"I see," said Nodame a little groggily. "But do you want to keep working for Elize's agency even in the future?"

"Of course," Oliver replied. "It's a challenge keeping up with all the difficult personalities in the agency, but I love this job."

"Eh? So you're saying Nodame is a difficult personality?"

"You need someone to take care of you," said Oliver straightforwardly. "There always has to be somebody who's supposed to keep an eye on you. That's what makes this job a little hard. . . but I'm not saying I don't like it."

When the two of them stepped out of the pub, Nodame asked, "Oliver, do you think I should leave the agency?"

Oliver was taken aback and did not answer.

"Everybody seems to be thinking of me as a nuisance," muttered Nodame.

"No one thinks of you as a nuisance," Oliver argued.

"_You_ do!" snapped Nodame, averting her eyes so her bodyguard wouldn't see that there were tears forming in them again. "And so does Elize! All of you think it's so bothersome to have me around."

"You're the only person who says so."

"That's because Nodame's the only person brave enough to admit the truth," Nodame whispered.

"Why don't we get ourselves a cab?" suggested Oliver, completely changing the subject.

Nodame nodded and swiftly wiped away her tears.

After about twenty minutes with still no cab in sight, Oliver said, "Maybe we should just walk."

"Okay," replied Nodame.

During their walk back to the hotel, she had to hold on to Oliver's arm several times to keep her balance.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Oliver asked.

Nodame nodded weakly and allowed Oliver to carry her on his back.

"You know," she began after a while, "I think I should quit music."

"Why would you do that?"

"The reason I pursued a musical career in the first place was because I wanted to be with Senpai," Nodame explained. "He told me to aim for higher goals and to work harder on my piano. And Milch said that if I did that, Senpai and I would be together. So I worked hard to become better everyday. I even tried to become as good as Senpai."

"You were able to do that, weren't you?" asked Oliver.

"Not really. I still haven't caught up with him."

"Then how did you two become the Golden Pair if you've never caught up with him?"

"Maybe it was because, for a time, I _thought_ that I did," Nodame said. "But with the way we are now, with the sort of playing that I do, he's becoming much more distant than ever. I try to tell myself that I have to work even harder to go back to the way we were, but sometimes I think that everything I've been doing for him is just a complete waste of time."

"Why?"

"Don't you understand, Oliver?" asked Nodame, her tears now falling freely. "We can never get back together again."

"You shouldn't think that way."

"I've been living with a false hope that Senpai will come back to me for the past eight years," Nodame said amidst sniffs. "I could and I _would_ wait for him forever. . . but it just hurts so much."

She buried her face in Oliver's shoulder and did not say anything more.

When they reached the entrance of the hotel, Oliver said, "Nodame, you can get down now. We're here."

He was answered by a soft snore.

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Nodame stepped onto the stage of the Royal Festival Hall, where she was performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on the second-to-the-last leg of her UK tour. Even though nearly all of her previous tour concerts were jam-packed, none of them could have been a decent comparison to the number of people who came to watch her that night. It was true that that particular performance had been the most anticipated among all of the concerts in her tour schedule and because the concert hall was filled with thousands of people, Nodame found it impossible to recognize any faces. She found this as a sort of relief because she believed that the less she saw of the audience, the more focused she was on her music.

_I just wish Senpai could see me right now_, she thought pensively as she made her way to the gigantic piano right in the middle of the stage. _I want him to listen to what my heart has to say through my music. I want him to know exactly how I feel._

Little did she know that Chiaki was sitting somewhere in the sixteenth row, looking up at her with an eager gleam in his eyes. He had been looking forward to that performance since the moment Barenboim gave him a ticket to watch it. Although a place in the sixteenth row wasn't exactly what Chiaki would call a "quality seat," at that moment it didn't matter at all to him where he was sitting. He didn't even care if he was standing at the very back of the audience.

_Whenever it's Nodame_, he thought, _just hearing the music is more than enough._

He glanced at the programme in his hand and read the words "Piano Concerto in G Major by Maurice Ravel" at the very top. It was one of Nodame's favorite pieces and they had performed it often as the Golden Pair. However, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 still beat it as their most frequent repertoire piece.

_I really have to find a way for us to perform that piece next year. I can't break my promise. It would only make her unhappy. . . . After all, I'm someone who knows perfectly well how to make her unhappy._

"_Dammit_," he said under his breath, furious at himself.

Chiaki felt his heart sinking when he recalled the memory of their last conversation at the Volksoper in Vienna back in July. While he rejoiced in the fact that Nodame's playing style was back to normal, he couldn't help but feel anxious about whether her feelings for him had changed or not. _His_ feelings had not changed. He was absolutely certain about that. But what about _her_ feelings?

_I shouldn't think about that now_, he said to himself. _Right now, I should be enjoying the music._

Within moments, the Royal Festival Hall was filled with the colorful and glittering sounds of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. It was a vibrant, exciting piece that conjured images of fantastical worlds and creatures in the minds of the listeners. It also showed off the pianist's ability to play rapid passages. Apart from that, it was a piece that put to good use nearly all of the instruments in the orchestra through a few but otherwise significant solo parts. It definitely suited both Nodame's and Jean's playing styles. Their performance that night was definitely one that was marked with enthusiasm and joy. Just listening to the concerto excited the audience and made them eagerly anticipate what sort of music the two of them would play next.

_Can this Ravel be even better than what Nodame and I performed?_ thought Chiaki as he felt a strange tinge of jealousy.

However, his envy was completely forgotten when he heard Nodame perform the second movement of the concerto. Its slow, meditative aura was a sharp contrast to the first movement's dazzling and fast-paced melody. From the very beginning of the performance, Chiaki knew that Nodame had been pouring all of her emotions into the piece. When he heard the second movement, though, he realized that Nodame's feelings had only just started gushing out of her.

_Is she crying out to somebody?_ he thought. _It sounds like she's calling out to someone far away, as though she wants that person to come to her. . . . The longing and the pain she's feeling is so transparent. All the notes she plays speak for themselves._

It broke Chiaki's heart to hear such a sorrowful melody and before he knew it, tears were slowly forming in the corners of his eyes.

_Can it be. . . that she's calling out to me?_ he asked in his mind after a moment.

Upon making this sudden realization, Chiaki found it hard to suppress his tears any longer. He buried his face in his hands and let the tears freely spill out of his eyes.

_How could I have done this to you, Nodame? I knew you were unhappy. . . but I didn't know how much pain I've caused you until now. How could I have been so blind and so deaf not to know the torment you've been keeping inside of yourself? I've been such an idiot all this time, thinking only of my own feelings and looking at our problems only through my own eyes. . . . Nodame, how can you ever forgive me for this?_

After several minutes, he lifted his face from his hands and gazed at Nodame's slender and graceful form on the stage. Her image had altered considerably over the past several months. Though it was obvious that she had gotten much thinner and her skin had become a little paler, there was an undeniably gentle and almost exquisite air about her. When he first met her (and even when they'd already known each other for quite some time), Chiaki was confident in his opinion that Nodame wasn't a beauty. But at that moment, he thought otherwise.

_It's only now that I've realized that you _are _so beautiful_, he thought. _You've always been beautiful, anyway. . . . At least, in your own way. But back then, I was too focused on myself to see it._

He regretted all of the missed opportunities in the past when he could have told her just how beautiful she was. He remembered how it had taken his breath away to see her in the lovely dresses she used to wear during special occasions and he was sorry that not once did he even tell her so. He regretted that he never told her how beautiful she looked whenever she wore the heart-shaped pendant he had given to her. There were so many instances when he could have mustered enough courage to tell her how he felt, but he just let those moments pass him by.

_So many wasted opportunities. . . . And all of them were because of my stupid arrogance._

"_I'm sorry_," he said in a voice that was barely audible.

_But will you ever forgive me for what I've done to you?_

Chiaki closed his eyes and sank down into his seat as a cold shiver ran through his body. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice that Ravel's concerto had come to a close and everybody around him was already applauding.

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"_Shinichi Chiaki!_"

Chiaki started and turned around to see who had just called out his name. He couldn't recognize any familiar faces in the sea of people who were coming out of the theater.

"Shinichi Chiaki! Is that really you?!"

Just then, a young man appeared in front of him. The stranger's boyish features and shoulder-length maize-colored hair seemed vaguely familiar to Chiaki, though he couldn't really make out who it was.

"Do I know you?" asked Chiaki.

"Ah, don't you remember me?" the young man inquired.

"No, sorry," said Chiaki hurriedly as he turned around and quickly headed for the exit doors.

He was not in the mood to have a conversation with anybody at the moment, knowing that whoever wanted to talk to him would certainly talk about Nodame. He understood that he wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about _her_, especially not when his unsettling contemplations still haunted him.

"Wait!" exclaimed the young man, who grabbed Chiaki's arm.

Chiaki stopped walking and faced the stranger again.

_Dammit, who the hell is this person?!_ he thought heatedly.

However, his eyes immediately widened once he found out who the young man was.

_He's the person who bought my ring at the pawnshop in Vienna!_

"Chiaki, don't you recognize me at all?" asked the young man incredulously. "It's me! _Lucas!_"

"'Lucas?'" Chiaki said in wonder.

_Do I know anybody named Lucas?_

"I was Nodame's classmate at the Conservatoire in Paris!" the man named Lucas went on.

_He was the little kid who had a crush on Nodame all those years ago! What in the world is he doing here?_

"I've been to nearly all of her tour concerts!" said Lucas brightly, answering Chiaki's thoughts. "She's still as amazing as ever, isn't she?"

Chiaki could only stare at him. He was too surprised to say anything out loud.

_I didn't recognize him at all._

"Do you mind if we have a little chat?" Lucas asked. "There's a café just around the corner. I'll pay," he added, seeing the look of reluctance on Chiaki's features.

"I think I should be heading back to the hotel. . ." said Chiaki softly, his voice trailing off.

"Oh, Chiaki, please?" Lucas pleaded, his hold on Chiaki's arm tightening. After a second, he added in a whisper, "It's about the ring I bought at the pawnshop in Vienna a few months ago. I've been meaning to talk to you about why I got it. . . . Actually, I didn't realize it was you at the time but the moment I stepped out of the pawnshop, I found out that it was actually _you_!"

Chiaki instantly became more alert at the mention of the word "ring."

"What about the ring?" he asked at once.

Lucas smiled at him rather mischievously and said, "I'll tell you after we get ourselves some coffee."

"All right," Chiaki told him shortly.

_I have to find out why he bought the ring._

On the way out of the Royal Festival Hall, Lucas said, "To tell you the truth, I've been meaning to get in touch with you for some time now."

Chiaki remained silent as a signal for Lucas to go on.

"I wanted to. . . ask for you permission," explained Lucas cryptically.

"Huh?"

"I want to marry Nodame!" Lucas said without thinking, immediately turning red.

Chiaki had no idea that his mouth suddenly fell open in shock.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her!" continued Lucas with a dreamy expression in his eyes.

_You have no idea what you're getting yourself into_, Chiaki thought.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I think I ended this chapter rather abruptly. What do you think?

Just to let you know, my classes are starting next week so I won't be able to update the story as quickly as I used to. I _will_ try to add some new chapters by the beginning of next week, but after that, I'll probably only be able to update twice a month. I also have to save some money to buy a new laptop because my old one is already so obsolete and broken, so I won't be able to type anything for a while. I hope you can wait! I highly appreciate it if you do. ;-)

Your comments are welcome.


	35. Lesson 35

**LESSON THIRTY-FIVE**

_Dammit, my head hurts_.

Chiaki threw himself onto the bed in his hotel room and heaved an exhausted sigh. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was already 3 o'clock in the morning. He had just returned to the hotel after a (very) long talk with Lucas. After leaving the Royal Festival Hall, they walked to a nearby café, where they stayed until the owner forced them to leave so that he would be able to close up his shop. Having no other restaurant to go to (since it was already past midnight when they left the café), the two of them decided to stroll along the River Thames. They had done a lot of talking, although it was really Lucas who spoke most of the time and Chiaki who had to merely answer him with "yes" or "no" or even "maybe" whenever he was asked something. Truthfully, Chiaki could hardly remember anything about their conversation because he hadn't even really been listening to what Lucas had been saying. He was either too immersed in his own thoughts or he was just too tired to listen. All he could actually recall of their discussion was Lucas telling him over and over again that he "wanted to marry Nodame" and "spend the rest of his life with her." He could also remember something Lucas mentioned about being attracted to Nodame because "she played music for the sake of music itself." He recalled Lucas saying something about asking for his permission to propose to Nodame because it was Chiaki who "knew her best." At one point during their conversation, Lucas even pulled out the ring from a deep pocket in his bag and showed it to Chiaki. He explained that he decided to buy the ring from a pawnshop because "all of the jewelry shops didn't have the ring he wanted." Besides that, Chiaki could not recall any of the other details concerning the purchase of the ring. However, if there was one part of their conversation that Chiaki clearly remembered, it was one of the last things Lucas had told him before they parted and headed back to their own hotels.

_"I wanted to talk to you about this because I was hoping to get some tips from you. You _are _her ex-boyfriend, after all, and back then it looked a lot like you two were actually married!"_

_That tactless idiot_, Chiaki thought savagely as he stared up at his hotel room's ceiling in frustration.

Chiaki regretted that he had not told Lucas that it was _he_ who was the original owner of the ring and _he_ who pawned it almost a year ago. He was actually thinking about forcing Lucas to give it back to him, but then he remembered that Lucas had already paid for it.

_And apart from that, the maturation period the pawnshop gave me is already over_, he told himself. _If I had just gone to Vienna three months after I pawned that damn ring, I could have gotten it back!_

"_Dammit!_" he hissed.

He immediately grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and threw it as far as he could. It hit the door with a soft thud before falling onto the floor.

At that moment, Chiaki could not understand his emotions. He was angry at Lucas for having enough courage to propose to Nodame. He was furious that the little French boy whom he thought would only remain a little French boy forever was now a grown man. . . and somebody vying to become the person who would become Nodame's lifetime companion. He couldn't take the fact that he wasn't the only person in the world who had feelings for her.

_What the hell did Lucas see in her?_ he thought. _She's disorganized, messy, and eccentric. She can't cook to save her life and she refuses to take baths every day. She's stubborn and foolish and can't make the right decisions for herself. What's worse is she's a _hentai. _No one knows exactly what she's feeling and thinking because she's such an unpredictable idiot. She probably won't be able to take care of her own children in the future because she can't even take care of herself properly. . . . Is that the sort of wife Lucas wants?_

In Chiaki's mind, imagining Nodame being married to that man was more disturbing than painful. He knew that they did not match and he was sure that Lucas was not a suitable husband for her. Nodame was ten years older than Lucas, but she behaved as though she were ten years _younger_ than him. And apart from that, Chiaki had to admit that Nodame wasn't exactly low-maintenance. If Lucas was going to marry her, he had to keep a close watch on his potential bride. He had to make sure that she wasn't into any trouble or, if that proved to be impossible, that at least she wasn't doing anything that would stir up trouble.

Throughout the many years they had known each other, Chiaki had played the role of Nodame's "husband" or at least, her "caretaker" (although in Nodame's case those two terms were easily mixed up). He had fed her almost every night and he saw to it that she was clean and healthy. At times when Nodame was nowhere in his sight, he would worry excessively. His devotion to her was already so extreme that it seemed like he had already sealed a commitment to be her "caretaker" (or "husband") forever.

Although he knew that there really was no reason why he should have been proud of it, Chiaki was immensely proud that he had performed his duty as "husband" satisfactorily. If he had it his way, he would even have said that he did a much better job of taking care of her than Nodame's own parents did. Because of this pride he held, he could not (and would not) easily accept that somebody else was going to attempt to do the job he had done so well in the past.

_He wouldn't be able to handle her_, he said to himself. _He doesn't know who she is and what she's capable of doing. She would torture him with all her weird habits and her perverted behavior. He wouldn't be able to stand her for long. . . . After all, _I_'m the only who can._

Against his own expectations, Chiaki's face broke out into a grin.

His self-satisfaction seemed to help lessen the anger inside of him. However, the moment he thought that his inner rage had finally dissipated, it was immediately replaced with worry.

_Lucas will definitely propose to her_, he thought. _I don't know him that well, but I understand perfectly well that he isn't somebody who will easily back out and give up._

_That's right, he isn't like you_, a voice inside of Chiaki's head told him.

"_I know that, dammit!_" he snapped, as though he expected the voice to answer him back.

He groaned and buried his face in the mattress.

_Why does this have to be so hard?_ he thought desperately.

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A persistent knocking on Chiaki's hotel room door woke him from his very short and rather troubled sleep. He tried to open his tired eyes as he sat up on the bed. After a moment, he glanced at the clock on the bedside table and read "8:15 AM." He considered going back to sleep, but he noticed that the knocking was not stopping at all.

_Who would want to see me this early?_ he thought, making a heavy sigh. _Dammit, I should have put the "Do Not Disturb" tag on the door before I went in._

Rolling his eyes, he sluggishly got up from the bed and walked over to the door. He opened it without peering through the eyehole.

"I thought you'd never open it," said the blonde blazer-clad woman in front of him irritably.

Chiaki's eyes widened.

"Elize?!" he asked in astonishment. He was now wide awake.

"Who else do you think I am?" Elize continued in the same grouchy tone as she strode into the room.

"I didn't tell you to come in," said Chiaki shortly, glaring at her.

_Doesn't she know I need my rest?_ he thought._ Honestly. . . this inconsiderate bitch._

"Well, it's too late now," Elize snapped, shooting a frown back at him. She planted herself onto one of the chairs placed around a small circular table in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Chiaki, not moving from his spot next to the door. He was thinking of adding "woman" at the end, although he realized that it was best not to.

Elize sighed before saying, "How was Nodame's performance last night?"

"Huh?"

"You were there, weren't you?" Elize went on.

"It was. . ." began Chiaki, who was unsure what to say.

_I was too focused on my thoughts to really appreciate the music wholeheartedly_, he admitted to himself.

"It looks like you didn't enjoy it one bit," said Elize, noticing the uncertainty etched on his face.

Chiaki remained silent as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"If you want to, I could give you a ticket to her concert in Birmingham tomorrow night," Elize continued. "It's the last leg of her tour and I'm not supposed to be telling anyone this, but there are a few surprises they're planning to do for that performance."

Once again, Chiaki did not answer.

_This _is _a rather tempting offer_, he thought. _And just when I don't have any more work with the orchestra until January. . . ._

"Why are you doing this, Elize?" Chiaki found himself asking all of a sudden.

However, Elize didn't appear taken aback at all by the question because she immediately answered, "Nodame and I. . . haven't been on really good terms lately."

"Eh?" asked Chiaki in surprise.

"I exchanged some harsh words with her a few days ago," Elize explained. "I admit that I'm not entirely blameless – "

_Finally, she's admitting her faults_, thought Chiaki with relief.

" – although it was really because of _you_ that we had that argument," finished Elize in a rather accusatory tone.

"What do I have to do with anything about that?" Chiaki asked in a half-bewildered half-angry voice.

"You'll find that you have _everything_ to do about it," said Elize plainly.

_Dammit, now _she_'s going to bring this up?_ Chiaki thought.

Elize paused for a moment before saying, "This past year, Nodame's been acting rather strange. And when I say 'strange,' I mean she's not being herself lately. I know you understand what I mean."

_As if you need to tell me that_, thought Chiaki furiously.

"She's been crying almost everyday for the past several months already," Elize went on. "I don't think that's something a normal person would actually do."

"Well, Nodame is an _ab_normal person," said Chiaki in an effort to sound indifferent.

"_See?!_" snapped Elize suddenly, the anger in her voice extremely evident. "_Do you see that, Chiaki?!_"

Chiaki started and asked in wonder, "See what?"

"Can't you see the reason why she's being like that?" Elize asked. "It's because of that attitude of yours! It's because you always make it seem as though you don't give a damn about her."

Chiaki seemed to be lost for words. He averted his eyes.

"I _do_ give a damn about her," he said almost inaudibly. _A whole lot of a damn, if ever there was such a thing like that_, he added in his mind.

"Are you saying something, Chiaki?" demanded Elize. "Because I can't hear it."

Her former client was about to open his mouth to say something, but just then Elize continued, "That's exactly the problem with you. You never tell her what you're thinking. You never even tell _anyone_ at all what's going on inside your mind. And whenever you actually want to tell her something, you're always holding back. You've placed a huge barrier between you and Nodame and I think it's high time that you realize that. She never lets you see it, but she's been struggling for the past eight years. This year is just a little more extreme than before."

"And you're saying it's entirely my fault?" Chiaki asked bitterly.

"Of course it is!"

"If Nodame's become worse, it isn't completely my doing," argued Chiaki in a soft, calm voice. Even he was surprised at himself for managing to control the anger he was feeling inside. "Don't pretend that you have nothing to do with it either."

"I beg your pardon?" Elize screeched. "I've been doing everything I can to take her mind off of you – "

"Well, that isn't exactly the remedy I would recommend, Elize," interrupted Chiaki, glaring at her. "Torturing her with so much work isn't the cure either."

"Is that still what you've been thinking all along? Are you still angry at me because of how I handled you when I was your manager?"

Chiaki did not answer.

"Don't compare yourself to Nodame," said Elize, whose eyes were gleaming with rage. "The two of you are completely different. Back then, even though you were a workaholic, you couldn't stand it when there was somebody managing your affairs – "

"It looked as though you were managing my life."

"_Shut up!_" Elize snapped. "Do not interrupt me again."

After a while, she went on, "You wanted to be independent, to be able to plan your own performances. You believed that you didn't need my help when it came to your job. Nodame, on the other hand, isn't capable of that. She always needs someone to take care of her. She's isn't _you_, Chiaki. Stop pretending that both of your feelings are the same!"

"Are you done?" inquired Chiaki coldly.

"No, I'm not," Elize said. "Now you listen to me and you remember what I'm about to tell you because it's for your own good. And Nodame's," she added.

"You're not talking to a five-year-old," said Chiaki.

"You're behaving like one, Chiaki."

When Chiaki appeared to have no more words to say, Elize continued, "All these years, the only things you've ever considered when it came to the bizarre relationship the two of you had were your own feelings. You believed that you were always the one who was right and that you were always the victim. You never took the time to think about how she felt. Don't you realize what you did to her, Chiaki? You treated her like a punching bag."

Suddenly, Chiaki remembered that Nodame had told him exactly the same thing almost four months previously.

_"Nodame was your punching bag, wasn't she, Senpai?"_

Chiaki felt his heart being torn into bits.

_Is that really what everyone thinks? _he thought. _That I really didn't care about her?_

"You were always throwing lies and excuses at her," said Elize, disrupting Chiaki's thoughts. "You pretended that she meant nothing to you, that she was just an inanimate object that you owned. All you really did was throw punches and all sorts of painful blows at her without thinking of how much she – your _punching bag_ – had already been damaged."

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, until Elize pulled out an envelope from her blazer's inner pocket and said, "Inside of this is a ticket to a sixth row seat. I'm not giving this as a peace offering or anything at all like that."

"Then what is it for?"

"I'm giving it to you so that you'll realize how much of a fool you've been," Elize explained. She placed the envelope on top of the table and stood up from her seat.

_How is a concert ticket supposed to help me realize that?_ Chiaki asked himself incredulously.

Elize slowly walked towards the door, but before she opened it, she looked back at her former client.

"I know that things will never truly be right between us," she said in a gentler voice. "There's still too much resentment on either side for us to make amends. But right now that doesn't matter. The only thing that you should be thinking about is how to make things right between you and Nodame."

All Chiaki could do was stare back at her.

"I'm only doing this for her," said Elize, "because I want her to be happy again. The last thing the agency needs is a major client undergoing psychiatric treatment because of some idiotic conductor's inability to express his feelings for her."

Without another word, Elize went out of the hotel room and carefully shut the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Chiaki sighed heavily and put his head in his hands.

_Even if I have that ticket,_ he thought, _Lucas is still going to propose to her. . . and what if she says "yes?"_

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"Nodame. . ." began Jean, who was leafing through his score of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. "You played this chord right here on the 28th measure an octave higher than what's written on the score."

"Eh?" Nodame exclaimed, her cheeks turning pink. After a moment, she added in a hushed tone, "Nodame didn't notice."

"I do believe Nodame was having too much fun last night," suggested Jean, flashing her a small smile.

"Was the performance all right?" Nodame asked rather worriedly.

"I thought you were brilliant. . . as always," said Jean.

"_Mukya!_" gasped Nodame, grinning. "And I was beginning to think that you hated how I played last night."

She and Jean, along with Yuko, were inside the cabin of a train traveling from London to Birmingham, where the two of them were going to perform with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra the following evening. It was the very last leg of their two-month long tour all over the UK and, though that particular concert wasn't expected to be as overcrowded as the performance they had with the London Philharmonic, they still expected a huge audience.

"I thought Oliver was going to stay with us until the final performance," Yuko pointed out suddenly. "Where is he?"

"He took a train to Paris right after the concert last night," replied Nodame.

"Why?" Yuko went on. "I thought the agency's in Berlin."

"Oh, it is," said Nodame, "but I asked Oliver to go to Paris so he could get me a pretty dress for the wedding on Saturday." With that, she giggled.

"'Wedding?'" Jean and Yuko asked in unison. Both of them appeared to be rather shocked.

"Yes, a wedding!" said Nodame with a broad smile.

"Whose wedding?" Yuko said in a slightly sharp tone. "It can't be _your_ wedding, surely. . ."

"Of course not," retorted Nodame. "It's my friend's wedding. Well, to be honest, I've never really thought of her as a friend but she invited me anyway – "

"Is it that Russian girl?" asked Jean. "Your neighbor?"

"_Tanya?!_" Nodame exclaimed in surprise. "I don't really know when she and Kuroki-kun plan on getting married. . . . Actually, it's somebody I met way back in college in Japan."

"Well, if she isn't your friend, how does she know you?" inquired Yuko.

Nodame didn't answer immediately and jutted her lips out as though she were in deep thought. After a moment, she answered, "Maybe it's because she was Senpai's girlfriend back then."

"Chiaki-kun's getting married?!" shrieked Yuko, her eyes widening.

"Huh?" Nodame asked, a puzzled look on her face. "He is?"

"No, no, Yuko," said Jean. "I think she means that whoever that person is was Chiaki's _ex_-girlfriend. . . right, Nodame?" he added.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," Nodame said.

"So you met that woman all those years ago because of Chiaki-kun?" continued Yuko.

Nodame nodded and after a while, she said, "Yuko-san, you really surprised Nodame just then. Nodame thought Senpai was really getting married. . ." She heaved a sigh of relief.

"You seem happy that he isn't," put in Yuko, glancing at Nodame knowingly.

Nodame averted her eyes.

There was a rather lengthy silence which was only broken when Yuko asked, "You must be so envious of her, aren't you?"

"Eh?" said Nodame in puzzlement.

"Are you envious of Chiaki-kun's ex-girlfriend because she's getting married?" asked Yuko somewhat tactlessly.

"_Yuko!_" Jean snapped, frowning at her.

"Nodame isn't envious," murmured Nodame. She didn't seem too intent on continuing the conversation, though, and stared out the window in silence for the rest of the train ride to Birmingham.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another angst-ridden chapter! Somehow I think Chiaki's the more mentally disturbed one than Nodame in this fic. ;-)

Sorry for the foul language. This is probably the chapter with the most swearwords, but I wanted to show just how frustrated Chiaki is (at himself, at Lucas, and of course at Elize).

I'll finally get my new laptop next week, so I hope that means that I'll get to update a _bit_ more often. But all the classes are rather big hindrances. Haha.

I'd love to hear from you.


	36. Lesson 36

**LESSON THIRTY-SIX**

Just before the intermission ended, Chiaki rushed back to his seat at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. He was panting and he felt sweat trickling down his forehead, but it did not matter to him at that moment how tired he was.

_At least I got this_, he thought, glancing down at the bundle of flowers in his hand.

While he was watching the first half of Nodame and Jean's performance, a thought suddenly struck him that going backstage to meet Nodame afterwards would be incomplete without a bouquet of flowers. At first, he believed that it was a rather silly notion. He had never given her flowers during any of her performances in the past, after all. However, something inside of Chiaki told him that he _had_ to bring her even just a simple bouquet. His conscience eventually won him over and the instant a thirty-minute intermission was announced, he hurried out of the theater and looked for the closest shop which sold flowers. When he finally found a florist nearby, he didn't even bother to think about what sort of flowers he would get. All he did was grab a bouquet from one of racks, toss several pound notes onto the cashier's counter, and run back to the concert hall as fast as his legs could take him.

As he took his seat and looked more closely at the flowers in his hand, he realized that it wasn't a very nice bouquet after all. It turned out to be a bundle of pale mauve-colored roses but even though the color was quite pretty, its petals were already shriveled up and appeared to be drooping.

_Dammit_, he told himself in frustration. _If I hadn't bought it at the last minute, I could have gotten a better bouquet._

He sighed heavily as he lifted his eyes from the flowers and looked up at the stage. He saw that Jean was already walking up to the conductor's podium with Nodame following him closely behind. Chiaki noticed a light streak of pink across her cheeks and an odd sort of smile on her lips.

_She looks different in comparison to the way she looked earlier. She seems to be happier. . . Did something happen during the intermission?_

Chiaki gulped and hoped that Lucas did not plan on popping the question to Nodame that night. He had not run into Lucas yet, but he was certain that the young man whom he now considered as something of a renewed rival was also sitting somewhere in that theater. To even his own surprise, Chiaki found himself staring intently at Nodame's hands as she placed them on the piano keys. He could not see anything glittering on her ring finger. This calmed him a little.

In a second, his anxious thoughts were momentarily forgotten as Nodame and the City of Birmingham Symphony started playing the first passages of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, which was regarded as one of the composer's masterpieces. Its bouncy and cheerful melody made it sound like a typical Mozart piece, though its unpredictable and innovative features set it apart from Mozart's other works. At the time of its first performance, Piano Concerto No. 9 was met with some controversy because it was a unique piece that made a stark contrast to other concertos of that period.

_It's a whimsical, even almost capricious, piece that reflects the personality of the pianist herself. It suits her_, thought Chiaki as he watched Nodame's head bobbing up and down in time to the brisk rhythm. He couldn't resist smiling upon watching Nodame playfully protruding her lips whenever she played a series of trills.

_You better hope that she'll accept your wilted flowers over Lucas's diamond ring_, a voice suddenly spoke inside of his head.

Chiaki flinched.

_Damn voice_, he thought tiredly. _And I was just beginning to enjoy the music._

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Chiaki tried not to make himself appear too nervous when he made his way backstage after the performance. He had been thinking too deeply of what he would say to Nodame when he would meet her after the concert that he really did not pay that much attention the music.

_And Elize told me she gave me the ticket so I'd actually get to enjoy the music_, he said to himself regretfully. _Dammit._

He glanced down at the shriveled bouquet in his hand and let out an anxious sigh.

_What if she doesn't accept the flowers?_ he thought, his face wrought with worry as he was walking down a long corridor leading to the dressing rooms.

_No!_ Chiaki contradicted himself. _She _has_ to accept these flowers. Damn that _hentai _if she doesn't._

Chiaki was completely unaware that he was running his fingers through his hair in an effort to make it look a bit neater.

_What am I actually supposed to say to her? "I'm sorry for not keeping in touch" or "I missed you" –_

"No, no, I can't say that," he muttered hastily.

_What about "You did great tonight?"_

Chiaki paused for a moment before saying aloud to himself, "That sounds all right. I'll start with that, then."

_Should I tell her about how I feel?_ he thought. _Should I try to bring up that subject concerning our relationship again? But how exactly would she react to that? Will she be angry or indifferent?_

"_Dammit_," he said under his breath furiously.

At that moment, he saw a familiar Japanese woman coming out of one of the dressing rooms at the far end of the hallway. When she saw Chiaki walking in her direction, she let out a shriek and ran over to him.

"Chiaki-kun! I can't believe you're actually here!"

Chiaki's eyes widened.

"Ah, Yuko-san," he began, unsure of what to say.

"What did you think of the performance?" Yuko asked enthusiastically. "Jean was brilliant, wasn't he?"

Chiaki made a rather hesitant nod.

"_You didn't think Jean was brilliant?!_" demanded Yuko.

"I did," Chiaki said at once. "He performed. . . wonderfully."

He hoped his tone of voice didn't betray his impatience to get away from Yuko.

"You _have_ to see him!" Yuko went on. "He's going to be so glad that you came!"

"Who?"

"Jean, of course!" said Yuko, taking hold of Chiaki somewhat forcefully by the arm and dragging him into the dressing room with the words "Jean Donnadieu" written on a piece of paper tacked to the door.

Before Chiaki was pulled into Jean's dressing room, he caught a glimpse of the next dressing room door. Another piece of paper was pinned onto it and it bore the words "Megumi Noda."

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"Have you got all your things ready?" asked Elize.

"Yes, just wait a minute," Nodame murmured. She hurriedly threw all of her belongings into her large black tote bag.

"Hurry up, you'll be late for your flight," Elize went on as she opened Nodame's dressing room door.

"I'll just say goodbye to Jean and Yuko-san," said Nodame, spotting her Gorota hand puppet lying on the table and stuffing it into her already full bag.

"Make it quick," Elize reminded her. "I'll go ahead and find a taxi for you," she added before going out of the dressing room.

A moment later, Nodame also went out of the room. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, she felt somebody lay a hand on her shoulder.

"_Hagya!_" she gasped, turning around to see who it was.

It turned out to be Lucas, who seemed to be fidgeting with something in his coat pocket.

"Nodame, can I have a word with you?" he asked in a somewhat uneasy manner.

"It's not a really good time," said Nodame quickly as she walked over to Jean's dressing room door.

"Wait!" Lucas pleaded, grabbing the sleeve of Nodame's green plaid jacket. "It will only take a second."

Nodame turned to look at Lucas again and asked, "What is it?"

"I. . ." began Lucas in a shaky sort of voice. He avoided Nodame's gaze.

"Lucas, what is it?" Nodame said. "I need to go now. I have a plane to catch – "

"Marry me, Nodame," interrupted Lucas, this time staring at her straight in the eyes. He slowly pulled out the thing he had been fiddling with in his pocket and showed it to Nodame. It was a small dark blue velvet box.

Nodame's mouth fell open.

"_EH?!_"

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"How long will you be staying in Birmingham, Chiaki-kun?" inquired Yuko, who was sitting next to Jean on the dressing room couch. "What do you think of having lunch with us tomorrow?"

"Yes, it would be nice to catch up on things," Jean put in with a smile.

Chiaki hesitated before answering, "It would be wonderful to have lunch with the two of you."

"Great!" said Yuko, beaming. "I heard there's a really good seafood restaurant at the Bullring shopping center. . ."

"I'll call you later to talk about the details," Chiaki said hurriedly, standing up from his place on one of the chairs placed in front of the huge dressing room mirror.

"You're leaving already?" asked Yuko incredulously. "You only just got here!"

"I wanted to. . . see Nodame," Chiaki explained, averting his eyes. "I've been meaning to talk to her for some time now."

"Oh," said Yuko quite simply. After a moment, she continued, "Well, she's probably gone already."

"Huh?" Chiaki asked, startled.

"She told us earlier that she was going to catch a plane right after the concert," explained Jean. "The flight's at 1:30 AM."

Chiaki immediately jerked his head in the direction of the wall clock and read "12:24."

"Where is she going?" he asked.

"She's going to attend a wedding in Tokyo," Yuko replied. "I heard the bride's your ex-girlfriend."

"'Ex-girlfriend?'" repeated Chiaki in the same bewildered tone. _It certainly can't be Nodame, right?_ he added to himself, feeling a hint of worry.

_Shinichi, you idiot_, he argued in his mind. _Nodame isn't the only ex-girlfriend that you have._

"Do you mean Tagaya Saiko?" he inquired.

"Nodame didn't mention any names," answered Yuko. "Actually, I thought she would say goodbye to us before she left. . . but she must have been in a hurry."

"Why don't you go and check if she's still in her dressing room, Chiaki?" Jean suggested.

Chiaki nodded and opened the door without another word. However, he instantly closed it again the moment he saw who was standing outside. There were two people standing just a few feet away from Jean's dressing room door. One of them was a woman with a very familiar head of unkempt reddish brown hair whose back was turned to him. The other one was a young man with shoulder-length blond hair who was facing Chiaki, but was too engrossed in his conversation with the woman to take notice of anybody else's presence.

_Maybe he's already asking for her hand in marriage right now_, he thought.

"Chiaki-kun, are you all right?" asked Yuko.

"Yes," Chiaki replied without looking at her.

After some time, he heard Jean and Yuko talking about their plans for lunch the following day. Knowing that neither of them was paying any attention to him, Chiaki decided to do a bit of his own version of espionage. He slowly opened the door once again, but this time he only opened it partway so that he would only be able to see what was going on outside through a narrow gap. He would certainly not admit it to anyone, but what he saw made him feel as though a dagger had pierced his heart.

"Yes, Lucas!" said Nodame. "Of course!" With that, she threw her arms around Lucas's neck and embraced him tightly.

"If this is what makes you happy. . ." Lucas said, his voice trailing off as he buried his face in Nodame's shoulder.

"Nodame is the happiest person in the world right now!" Nodame put in. Her voice seemed to be choked up in tears, though Chiaki could not tell whether they were indeed tears of joy or sadness.

Chiaki found that he could not take what he was seeing any longer and he shut the door as quietly as he could. He turned around to face Jean and Yuko again.

"Yuko-san, tell me more about that seafood restaurant you mentioned," he said, trying to appear as unruffled as possible even though he was being swallowed up in anguish on the inside.

"Sure, I looked it up on the Internet earlier today," said Yuko. "But are you seriously okay, Chiaki-kun?" she added, seeing a faint glimmer of pain in Chiaki's eyes.

"I'm. . . fine," Chiaki answered in a lifeless tone as he returned to his chair in front of the mirror.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This chapter is quite short, although I tried to fit in as many events as I possibly could. I hope it wasn't _that_ short.

For now, I will only add these two latest chapters to my very long fic because this is all that I was able to write this week. At the moment, I'm only typing this on my mum's laptop (which I "stole" from her just for the time being) and I have to wait another week until I get my new one, so it'll be quite some time before I'm able to get back to working on this story again. Please give me another week or so. Until then, I hope you can wait! ;-)

Your comments are very welcome, as always.


	37. Lesson 37

**LESSON THIRTY-SEVEN**

With his shoulders slightly hunched forward and a dejected sort of expression in his eyes, Chiaki made his way out of the arrival gate of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in absolute silence. It was the sort of silence which would have helped him get through the large crowd at the gate completely unnoticed, though the scowl on his face and the deep creases of anxiety which were set on his brow were enough to procure a few wary stares from the people all around him. However, he was quite fortunate at that time because none of those people seemed to recognize who he was.

He had just flown in from Birmingham on one of the most uncomfortable flights he had ever had in his entire life. His anxiety wasn't due to the fear he had in the past of planes, but because of his deeply troubled feelings inside. Throughout the flight, he was incredibly restless. The flight attendants offered him food, though he felt as though the food had not even a hint of taste. Some time during the plane ride, he took out the in-flight magazine from his seat pocket, though he found that he had for some reason lost his ability to read and that all the words in front of him had absolutely no meaning. He also tried to sleep, although his attempt at that was also unsuccessful. When he realized that he had no other choice but to stare into the space in front of his eyes, he did so until the plane landed in Chicago very late in the afternoon.

To say that Nodame had nothing to do with his disquiet would have been a lie since Chiaki himself knew that she had absolutely everything to do with it. She had been the only thing on his mind for the past several days. It was true that even when he behaved fairly normally, Nodame was always the person he thought of the most. However, he could not take his mind off of her this time.

_That damn _hentai, he thought as he slowly walked over to the taxi terminal outside the airport. _What in the world made her say "yes?" She knows that marriage will never work out. She knows Lucas isn't the one for her._

_And why do you think that?_ asked the voice in his head all of a sudden.

Chiaki rolled his eyes and heaved a frustrated sigh before saying to the voice, _Because _I_'m "the one." Isn't that obvious?_

He thought he heard the voice sigh as well and tell him, _Really, Shinichi. . . ._

_Well, who _doesn't _know that I'm the one for her?_ Chiaki asked in his mind. _Everybody around me knew it even before I did!_

_You do_ _realize that you're talking to yourself, don't you?_ said the voice teasingly.

Chiaki stopped walking for a moment and closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself.

"Maybe I need a psychiatrist. . . or a counselor," he said under his breath. _Dammit, I'm hearing voices in my head_, he added to himself.

After a moment, Chiaki made another sigh and pulled out his phone from his coat's inner pocket. The moment he turned it on, it started ringing. He read the words "Lucas" on the LCD and immediately stuffed it back into his pocket.

_Probably calling to tell me the "good news,"_ he thought savagely. _Idiot._

By the time he reached the terminal and stepped into the backseat of one of the taxis, the ringing had already stopped.

"Where to?" asked the driver, glancing at Chiaki from the rearview mirror.

"282 Lake Shore Drive," Chiaki replied.

As soon as he finished his sentence, his phone started ringing once again. He remained motionless, though, and made no move to pull it out of his pocket.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" the driver asked.

"I'll pay you twice as much if you don't talk to me during the entire ride," snapped Chiaki in a cold tone.

The driver shrugged and murmured, "Fair enough."

_Dammit_, Chiaki thought regretfully as the taxi started moving. _I don't have that much money on me. I shouldn't have said that._

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Saiko sat up completely straight and stared at her reflection in the large mirror. She lightly ran her long fingers through her hair, which had several diamond-encrusted hair clips fastened to it and was arranged in large soft curls all around her face. Only a very light layer of makeup was applied to her somewhat intimidating but beautiful features that it seemed as though it was barely there, except for a slightly rosy blush on her cheeks. However, she believed that her pinkish complexion wasn't the doing of a light touch of makeup but because of her own excitement. After all, she _was_ going to get married in less than an hour.

"Ah, Saiko-nee!" shrieked a high-pitched female voice from somewhere behind her. "You look so beautiful!"

Saiko turned her head to see who it was. A young woman in a long green-colored satin gown was standing at the doorway. Her dark hair, which was also in loose curls, was swept up to one side of her head.

"Yuiko-chan, come in," said Saiko, making a small smile at her. She motioned for Yuiko to take the seat next to her.

Yuiko obeyed at once and planted herself on the chair beside Saiko.

"I'm so excited!" Yuiko put in, giggling. "Saiko-nee, I know every person at the wedding will fall in love with you!"

Saiko sighed and said, "Well, all I really need is Mamoru to fall in love with me."

"I'm sure he's already in love with you!" insisted Yuiko. "He agreed to marry you, didn't he?"

Saiko nodded in a rather pensive manner, which made her young companion wonder.

"Is there something wrong, Saiko-nee?" Yuiko asked.

"What?" asked Saiko in surprise. "No, it's nothing. . . . I just wanted Shinichi to be here tonight."

"Why won't he come tonight?"

"He said he had. . . things to do," Saiko replied, trying not to sound so glum.

"But Obasan said Shin-nii won't be conducting the Chicago Symphony until January," said Yuiko, "which means that he doesn't really have anything to do right now."

Saiko shrugged.

Neither of them spoke for what seemed like several long minutes until Saiko murmured, "You know, I still love him."

"Who?"

"Shinichi," replied Saiko simply.

Yuiko's eyes widened.

"Then what's the point of you marrying Okochi-san if you don't even love him?" she asked incredulously.

"I _do_ love Mamoru," said Saiko. After a moment, she added in an almost breathless voice, "But I love Shinichi too."

"Who do you love more?"

Saiko was taken aback by the question and did not answer.

"I thought people married each other because of love," Yuiko continued. "I didn't think anybody would get married out of pity."

"What are you talking about?" asked Saiko in disbelief. "I don't pity Mamoru. I'm serious, Yuiko-chan," she added, seeing the expression of skepticism on her companion's face.

"If you love Shin-nii so much, then you should just marry _him_," Yuiko muttered.

Saiko hesitated before answering, "Weren't you the one who said that people marry because of love?"

"Huh?" asked Yuiko, bewildered.

"Shinichi doesn't love me," Saiko went on. "He never did."

"Not even when you two were still going out together?"

"No, not even then," said Saiko. "He only loved my voice. . . . Mamoru, on the other hand, loves everything about me, even the things which aren't so easy to love."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Yuiko asked.

"Because he's going to marry me," replied Saiko simply. "He's going to make a commitment to spend the rest of his life together with me. Isn't that enough?"

"And are _you_ willing to do the same thing?"

"I've already told you. I love him."

"But you didn't answer my question earlier!" said Yuiko. "Who do you love more, Saiko-nee?"

All of a sudden, one of the other bridesmaids entered the room and announced, "The bridal march will start in 20 minutes. Yuiko-chan, why don't you join the others outside?"

Yuiko made a reluctant nod before standing up and making her way out of the room. After a while, Saiko stood up as well and headed for the door. However, before she went out of the room, she flashed a grateful beam at the bridesmaid and said, "Thank you."

"Eh?" asked the puzzled bridesmaid as she watched Saiko disappear down the hallway.

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"_Gyabo!_" Nodame yelped. "Lobsters!"

She set down the chicken leg she had been devouring on her already-filled platter and grabbed two of the largest lobsters from the buffet table. Her eyes widened with wicked delight as she carefully placed the lobsters on top of the heap of food on her plate. After a moment, she lifted her eyes from her plate and started scanning the buffet table once again. She let out another shriek when she spotted a bowl of smooth, gravy-smothered mashed potatoes.

"So much food!" she said to herself dreamily as she took several spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes and placed them on top of the lobsters on her platter. "This is the best wedding Nodame has ever been to!"

"You seem hungry," put in a low male voice which sounded quite close to a growl.

Nodame started in surprise and slowly turned around to see who had spoken.

"_Etoh-sensei?!_" she gasped, seeing a familiar man with thick jet black hair and an equally thick jet black mustache standing in front of her.

"How have you been, Noda?" asked Etoh, managing to flash her a small smile.

"Oh, I'm great!" Nodame replied cheerfully. "I can't seem to leave this buffet table anymore. All the food is so delicious!" With that, she held out her plate to Etoh to show him the mountain of food on it.

Etoh rolled his eyes before continuing, "I meant, how's your _job_?"

"Ah! Well. . . it's all right," answered Nodame. "I just finished a tour all around the UK and I'll be going to Hong Kong in a few weeks to have a special Christmas performance."

"I heard you were supposed to have a recital here in Tokyo back in August," Etoh pointed out, taking the topmost plate on a pile at the end of the table and helping himself to some fish fillet. "I would have liked to watch that."

"Nodame's manager cancelled that performance at the last minute," explained Nodame in a somewhat glum tone.

"How's Chiaki, then?" Etoh asked all of a sudden.

"Eh?"

"Tagaya said he was supposed to be here at the wedding too," explained Etoh. "She said she was hoping Chiaki would conduct the chamber orchestra during the bridal march. . ."

Nodame hesitated before saying, "I haven't been in touch with him for a while."

Etoh seemed to understand that Nodame was not very comfortable with their current topic and merely nodded before grabbing a few chicken legs from the buffet table.

"Momogaoka's been rather uninteresting lately," he put in after several minutes of silence.

"Oh, why?" asked Nodame, a look of childlike wonder in her eyes.

"There aren't any perverts anymore," Etoh answered in a low voice.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?!" demanded Nodame. She frowned and jutted out her lips.

"You've never kept in touch," Etoh continued, changing the subject completely.

"Did Etoh-sensei want to keep in touch with Nodame?"

"Tell me about the Conservatoire," interrupted Etoh. "Was Auclair-sensei a good teacher to you?"

"Of course he was!" Nodame replied, all at once brightening up. "I learned a lot of things from him. He was like a great Jedi master – "

"What?" asked Etoh in confusion.

" – and he was _much_ better than all my other teachers," Nodame finished, making a nod to emphasize her statement.

"_What did you just say?_" asked Etoh in a deadly tone. There was something of a grimace on his face.

"Ah! Well, Tanioka-sensei has always been my favorite," Nodame went on, "but Auclair-sensei was the best! He really taught me how to work hard!"

Etoh stared at her.

_And where the hell am _I_ in all of this?_ he asked himself in disbelief.

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Nodame was sitting alone at her table, completely absorbed in eating her lobster and not minding anything around her. She was too focused on her food to notice that all of the other guests who were also seated at her table had already disappeared and were either socializing with their friends or waltzing on the dance floor in the middle of the large room. She did not mind that none of the other guests talked to her. In fact, Nodame found it much better if they left her to eat in peace. After all, nothing really ever did come between her and her food.

"Do you mind if I join you?" asked somebody who was standing nearby.

Nodame nodded absentmindedly and continued devouring the lobster as though nothing had happened. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman in a green satin gown take the seat next to her.

"I thought you looked lonely sitting here by yourself," the woman went on.

_Who _is _this person?_ thought Nodame peevishly, not taking her eyes off of her food. _She's interrupting Nodame's meal!_

"How long will you be staying in Japan, Nodame?" inquired the woman.

Nodame jumped in her seat and dropped the lobster leg she was holding.

_She knows who I am?_ she asked herself, slowly turning her head to face the stranger. When she realized who the woman was, her eyes widened and a smile of delight broke out on her lips.

"_Mama!_" she gasped. "Nodame is so glad to see you!" With that, she made a small bow.

"When was the last time we saw each other?" asked Seiko, making a small smile at her. "I feel as though it was ages ago."

"It probably was," Nodame suggested with a nod as she picked up the lobster leg from her plate and started eating it again. "Nodame doesn't remember either. . ."

"Did you enjoy your tour in the UK?" Seiko continued after a moment.

Nodame nodded and replied, "It was very fun. We went to all sorts of places and all the people we met were really friendly to us."

"I was able to call Shinichi the other day," said Seiko, "and he said you did brilliantly with the London Philharmonic Orchestra."

"Eh?" Nodame asked in wonder, setting down her lobster leg once again. "Senpai watched that concert?"

"He went to see your performance in Birmingham too," Seiko went on. "But didn't you know, Nodame?" she added, seeing a look of utter surprise in her companion's eyes.

Nodame merely shook her head. She was about to pick up the lobster leg again, but she found that she was no longer in the mood to eat. She wanted to know more about Chiaki and what he had been doing recently.

"Senpai never visited me backstage," she muttered, casting her eyes down.

Seiko could not help but heave a sigh.

"He seems to be constantly preoccupied with his work," was all she could say. _As always_, she added to herself.

"Why didn't Senpai come tonight?" Nodame asked in a rather feeble tone.

Seiko paused before replying in a vague manner, "He told me he had. . . things to do."

"Weddings are nice, aren't they?" piped in Nodame all of a sudden. She looked up at the massive crystal chandelier above them and smiled dreamily.

"Yes, I suppose they are. . ." Seiko said, surprised at the sudden change in topic. She gazed at Nodame with an amused expression on her face.

"Everybody looks different at weddings," Nodame continued. "It's as though they all transform from ordinary people into fairies and nymphs."

Seiko laughed softly.

"And the food served at weddings is heavenly!" said Nodame, her eyes twinkling with glee. "The music played during receptions is great too! It sounds so relaxing. It must be wonderful to get married. . ." Her voice trailed off as she let out a sigh, which had an undeniably melancholic ring to it.

"Maybe you should say, 'it must be wonderful to be _at a wedding_,'" Seiko suggested knowingly.

"Huh?"

"Weddings are pleasant," explained Seiko, "but marriages. . . . Well, not all of them turn out just as brilliantly."

"Oh!" Nodame exclaimed upon realizing something. "Nodame is sorry she brought this up, Mama. She completely forgot – "

"A person should never avoid the truth," said Seiko, interrupting her. "And even if you do, the truth will be thrown straight at you sooner or later. You can never stay away from it."

"But it must be painful to think about the truth."

"Yes," Seiko replied simply. "But that's just how it works. . . . The truth about my marriage with Masayuki-san is that it was meant to fall apart. He had many priorities. It just so happened that neither I nor Shinichi was one of them."

Nodame turned her head away so that her companion would not be able to see tears forming in her eyes.

They both remained silent for a moment, until Nodame asked in an almost inaudible voice, "Should a person get married?"

"I don't understand what you mean," said Seiko.

There was a long moment's hesitation before Nodame asked, "Is a person _required_ to get married?"

"'Required?'" asked Seiko. "No one is ever obliged to get married. It's a personal choice whether you want to make that commitment or not. Unless you're caught up in an arranged marriage, of course," she added with a touch of humor.

"So is it also perfectly fine if a person never gets married?"

"There's nothing wrong with that decision," Seiko answered, "but you have to admit that it _is_ ultimately a lonely future in store for you."

After a pause, she continued, "Nodame, are you planning on remaining single for the rest of your life?"

"No, not really," replied Nodame cryptically. "It's just. . . somebody proposed to Nodame a few days ago."

Seiko appeared as though she was at a loss for words. There was an expression of suppressed joy in her eyes.

"_Finally_," she said under her breath, leaning back on her chair and letting out a relieved sigh.

"Eh?" asked Nodame in wonder.

"He's finally proposed to you," Seiko replied. "I thought I'd never live to see this day. . ."

"Does Mama know Lucas Baudry?"

Seiko paused before answering, "No, I don't. Who in the world is that?"

"He was the man who proposed to Nodame," explained her companion.

"What?" Seiko found herself blurting out. _It wasn't Shinichi?_ she added in her mind.

Nodame continued, "I met Lucas while I was studying at the Conservatoire in Paris. At the time, he was just a very small boy, but now he's really grown up! He teaches piano at a music school in Venice. . . . Oh, I forgot that he already resigned – "

"And did you say 'yes?'" interrupted Seiko at once.

Nodame did not answer right away and seemed to be in deep thought. After a while, she said, "Well, it depends on what question I answered. . ."

Seiko stared at her in utter confusion.

"_Gyabo_, I just can't get enough of these lobsters," Nodame put in gleefully as she picked up the lobster leg from her plate and started devouring it again.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to update this fic. It's just both of my hands have been aching for the past several weeks. I haven't been to the doctor yet, although I do have a feeling that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. My mum was diagnosed with it two years ago so she knows all the symptoms and she says I have _all_ of the symptoms. She also told me to take a break from writing for a while, which is why I'm taking forever to update. My sincerest apologies to everybody who's been waiting so patiently for the next chapters. But never fear! I am determined to finish writing this story and I hope you can wait for whatever happens next! I hope you, guys, haven't become pissed off with me (yet). ;-)

Your comments are very welcome.


	38. Lesson 38

**LESSON 38**

Nodame sighed as she went up the steps leading to the wide stage. She stood still for several moments and gazed at the empty orchestra chairs and the unoccupied conductor's podium in front of her. After several minutes, she slowly walked over to the imposing black Bechstein at the center of the stage and took her seat in front of the keyboard. A small smile appeared on her lips as her eyes fell on the shiny black and white keys of the piano.

"_What should Nodame play this time?_" she asked in a voice that was merely a breath.

She looked up at the brightly illuminated stage lights and jutted out her lips as though she were in deep thought. Then all at once, she let out a delighted high-pitched laugh and placed her large hands on top of the keys.

Nodame took a deep breath before playing the first _pianissimo _chord. Almost effortlessly, she reached the massive ten-note span of the chord and produced a stirring sound that echoed throughout the empty concert hall. As she continued playing, the music became louder and faster, resonating across the thousands of unoccupied seats in the theater like a cold blast of wind that chilled a person's very bones. Nodame herself felt as though she was being pulled into a cyclone which was swirling with fear, doubt, and sorrow. She could feel her heart growing anxious as she played the rapid successions of notes and the seemingly unending arpeggios. She was scared and her entire being was restless. This was always how she felt whenever she played that particular piece. . . and she had played that piece many times. It was, after all, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor.

It was a concerto which she willingly called her very own. _Their_ very own, to be more specific. Nodame had always loved that piece and every single time she played it, she felt a strange sort of excitement overcome her. However, she found it hard to deny to herself that she also felt an unexplainable sense of dread whenever she performed it. Over the years, Nodame had taught herself to believe that because Rachmaninoff was the type of composer who could immerse his listeners in his own emotions through the music he created, she also felt the same anxiety that he felt when he composed that piano concerto. She knew that Rachmaninoff had gone through an intense period of depression during the time when he composed that piece and she believed that he had poured all of the passion inside of him into that concerto.

Nodame had always hated the feeling of anxiety and she tried her very best to avoid it as much as possible. She could not understand what it was about that piece that made her _want_ to feel that dread, though. Whenever anyone other than herself played that concerto, she would find herself completely engrossed in listening to it. And whenever she was the one performing it, she discovered that she would become consumed by that fear and sorrow which she hated so much. It was the very sadness of that piece which _drew_ her to it, but she could not understand why. It almost appeared as though she enjoyed basking in Rachmaninoff's despair.

_Why does Nodame always feel this way?_ she asked herself as her fingers flew like darts from one note to another. _Is she hiding in Rachmaninoff's sorrow so no one else will see or hear her own sadness?_

She felt a single tear trickle down her cheek and saw it fall onto the ivory piano keys. She did not realize it but she had already been playing that concerto for the past thirty minutes and was just about to reach the climactic finale of the third movement. When she played the very last chord of the piece, she lifted her hands from the piano and placed them on her lap. She let out a heavy sigh. It was only then that she started to become aware of how exhausted she was.

"Bravo! That was beautiful!"

Nodame turned her head to see who had just spoken. She saw a tall, thickset man with large round-rimmed glasses standing just a few feet behind her. There was a broad smile on his face and he was clapping his hands.

"_Gyabo!_" Nodame gasped, standing up from the piano and running over to him. "Gerard, it's been a while since I last saw you!"

"I heard all about your tour in the UK from my sister," said Gerard Salonga, the principal conductor of the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra. "She watched your performance with the London Symphony and she just couldn't stop talking about the Ravel concerto! It's a shame I couldn't make it to your tour," he added with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Well, at least we'll be performing together again," Nodame piped in brightly. She forgot her exhaustion for a moment.

"Of course," said Salonga. "Playing with _the_ Megumi Noda is always an honor."

Nodame's cheeks turned a faint pink color.

"So the Hong Kong Symphony's music director has decided that we'll be doing an encore of Saint-Saëns's _Le carnaval des animaux_," Salonga continued as he sat down on one of the empty orchestra chairs, "since it became really popular after that concert we had back in the summer. Do you have any suggestions for the piano concerto, though?"

"Oh, I haven't thought about that yet," answered Nodame, returning to her seat in front of the piano.

"It should be something cheerful," said Salonga. After a moment, he added excitedly, "To remind us all of Christmas!"

"_Mukya!_ Christmas!" Nodame squealed, her eyes widening with delight. "Then what about Shostakovich's fairy tale concerto?"

"Huh?"

"Nodame can't remember the title," muttered Nodame as her lips formed a pout. "Ah! It sounds like this. . ."

She turned her head away from Salonga to face the piano. After taking a deep breath, she positioned her hands on top of the keys and began playing a cheerful and bouncy melody. In a moment, the jolly air of the piece turned into something much more serious and resolute as Nodame played several rapid and heavily accented passages of staccato notes. Then all at once, the tempo slowed down again as she started playing a somewhat melancholic portion of the piece.

"Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major!" Salonga exclaimed suddenly.

Nodame immediately stopped playing and faced him again.

"What do you think?" she asked in a rather anxious tone.

"It sounds good," Salonga assured her. "I think that piece will suit our repertoire for the concert. I'll be doing Tchaikovsky's _Nutcracker_ ballet suite with the orchestra as well."

"That's another fairy tale piece!" put in Nodame gleefully, losing the worry in her voice. "I think this will be a _magical_ Christmas performance!"

Salonga couldn't help but laugh at his pianist's childlike enthusiasm. When he recovered from his fit of laughter, he went on in a satisfied voice, "That was probably the best Rachmaninoff I've ever heard in my life."

"What was?" Nodame inquired, puzzled.

"Your Rachmaninoff," replied Salonga. "The piece you played just now."

"No one can play a piece better than the composer himself," Nodame said in a surprisingly solemn manner.

Salonga gazed at her with an amused expression on his face before saying, "You must be _second_ best, then."

His companion beamed at him.

"It would've sounded better if there was an orchestra accompanying it," Salonga continued with a sigh.

"There _was_! Nodame could hear the orchestra playing along with her!" insisted Nodame. "Didn't you hear them, Gerard?"

Salonga merely stared at her in wonder. After a while, he said softly, "I just probably didn't notice them."

"Yes, probably. . ."

"It must have been Shinichi Chiaki's orchestra that accompanied you," suggested Salonga in a sudden manner.

"Eh?" Nodame asked in surprise. "Why do you think so?"

"Because you played it like that," Salonga replied cryptically.

Nodame stared at him with an utterly confused look on her face.

"It was perfect," explained Salonga, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Nodame made many mistakes," Nodame argued. "It only sounded perfect because Senpai was able to hide all the bad sounds I made by making the orchestra play a little louder. He has a way of doing that."

"'Senpai?'"

"Oh, I meant 'Shinichi,'" said Nodame. She blushed and averted her eyes upon saying the word "Shinichi," though her companion could not understand why.

"Are you all right?" he asked concernedly.

Nodame decided to ignore Salonga's question and piped in, "He can hide my mistakes because he's the best conductor in the world! No other conductor can match his greatness! Even if all the other conductors in the world were to compete with him, none of them would even come close to defeating him!"

Salonga cleared his throat loudly and appeared as though he had not heard Nodame say anything at all.

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Chiaki let out a sigh and slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and warmth of his apartment. He had just come from the nearby grocery store to buy an entire week's worth of food and to put it simply, he had to trek through several blocks of snow-laden sidewalk and endure the bite of the piercing Chicago winter wind just to get to the store and back.

He had gone through many winters in his life before: in Europe, in Japan, and in the US. However, Chiaki had to admit that he found the winters in Chicago incredibly tiring. He knew that it was his choice to be in that city. After all, it was he who had made the decision for himself to become the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and to live there for as long as he held that post. Over time, he eventually learned to love that city. But if there was one thing that he hated about Chicago, it was the winter. He loathed having to put on at least four layers of thick sweaters before going out of his house and he especially detested it whenever he had to get up early in the morning to shovel out the snow which had built up around his car overnight just so he could drive to work. The winter in Chicago was a hassle for him and he found it immensely difficult to accept that winter was something that was always bound to happen every year.

_I wonder what I'm still doing in this damn place when I could already be experiencing the warmth of someplace tropical_, he said to himself as he was lying on his back on the large leather couch in his living room. _I have more than enough money to be able to afford an entire month in Hawaii. Maybe I should spend Christmas there. . ._

All of a sudden, he groaned.

_What's the point of celebrating Christmas if you're celebrating it by yourself?_ he thought. _Isn't Christmas supposed to bring people together?_

Chiaki's thoughts then lingered on Nodame and the Christmases that they had celebrated together in the past. To his amazement, he felt as though all those past Christmases that they spent together seemed so far away, as though they were part of a long-forgotten era in history.

_Last Christmas, I didn't even bother to send her a message or give her a call_, he contemplated guiltily. _I was too busy thinking about how to get rid of the ring._

After a moment, he continued, _Which already belongs to her now. . . even though I wasn't the one who gave it to her._

"_Dammit_," he said in a furious undertone.

Chiaki started when he heard his phone ringing and got up from the couch. He quickly grabbed it from the coffee table and without bothering to read the caller ID, pressed the Answer button.

"Hello?" he asked rather curtly.

He heard a guffaw from the other end before a male voice said, "Guess who, Chiaki-kun!"

_He's Japanese?_ thought Chiaki, his eyes widening upon hearing the voice speak in his native tongue.

"Who's this?" he went on in the same brusque manner.

There was another loud laugh.

_If this idiot doesn't tell me who he is now, I'm hanging up_, Chiaki thought heatedly.

"It's your old friend!" answered the voice. "Well, I was really your _rival_ back then, wasn't I? Don't you recognize my voice at all, Chiaki-kun – ?"

"No," Chiaki cut in just as he was about to hang up.

"It's Katahira!" the voice said. "I saw you only a few months ago in Vienna! Do you honestly not remember me?"

_Katahira-san?_ said Chiaki in his mind, pressing the phone to his ear again. _Why in the world would he be calling me?_

"Katahira. . . Hajime?" he inquired.

"Yes, that's the one!" Katahira piped in. "How have you been? It looks as though you haven't been working since that performance you had with the Vienna Philharmonic!"

"I got to conduct the Chicago Symphony a few more times before I took my leave," replied Chiaki.

"'Leave?'" Katahira asked. "Are you ill?"

"It's my leave for the holidays," replied Chiaki hurriedly.

"But the holidays have only just begun!" Katahira pointed out. After a long pause, he continued in his usual playful voice, "So what have you been up to during your early holiday leave?"

"I visited. . . a friend," Chiaki lied.

_He always asks too many questions_, he mused, although he wasn't completely annoyed at his former competition rival.

"And was that friend ill?"

"Huh?"

Katahira let out another laugh and said, "Never mind, Chiaki-kun. . . . I just called to ask if you're available during the New Year."

"Yes, of course," answered Chiaki. "Are you hosting a New Year party?"

"I might. . . if everything turns out to be a success," Katahira said cryptically.

"What?" said Chiaki, who was now very confused.

"You see, what I'm really trying to do right now," explained Katahira, "is to get you to become the guest conductor of my chamber orchestra during a special New Year's Eve performance."

He received no answer.

"So what do you say?" Katahira asked.

"It would be my pleasure," replied Chiaki at once. _At least I'll have something to look forward to while the holidays last_, he added to himself.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Katahira. "Do you like snow, Chiaki-kun?" he added unexpectedly.

"Yes, very much," Chiaki found himself saying.

_What the hell did I just say that for?_ he thought with regret. _Didn't I tell myself that I wanted to go someplace warm just now?_

"That's even more wonderful!" said Katahira. "I'm currently the principal conductor of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. As you can imagine, it's pretty cold up here all year round." With that, he chuckled.

_St. Paul?_ Chiaki thought. _In Minnesota? That city's even colder than Chicago!_

"This morning, I woke up with seven inches of snow covering my front yard!" Katahira went on. "Well, it's only the beginning of December, so I expect it will snow even harder as we get closer to Christmas. Chicago and St. Paul are pretty much the same when it comes to weather, right?"

"I suppose," said Chiaki, trying not to sound too glum.

_Just what I need_, he thought, rolling his eyes. _More snow._

"Then this shouldn't be a problem for you at all," Katahira assured him. "By the way, is it all right if you'll be conducting Debussy's _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun?_ I just thought that that piece would remind us of a warm summer day. . . to take our minds off of winter just for the time being."

"That's a good repertoire choice," Chiaki pointed out quite truthfully.

"Great!" said Katahira in an enthusiastic voice. "Can you come here as soon as possible so we can talk about the rest of the programme? I'll introduce you to the orchestra too. It's only a chamber orchestra, so memorizing their faces and their names will be easy for you. Do you think you can come on Tuesday?"

"Yes," Chiaki replied simply. "I'll get there as soon as possible."

_I just hope I can make it through the snow_, he thought.

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The R S Orchestra members all huddled close to each other as they made their way through the slippery snow-laden cobblestone paths of Momogaoka Music Academy. They were heading for the school's main theater to have rehearsals for their Christmas performance, which was held annually at Suntory Hall.

"It's so cold!" Sakura exclaimed as she buried her small hands in her coat's pockets. "I don't think it's ever snowed this early in Tokyo!"

"I don't think it's ever snowed this _hard_ in Tokyo," put in Kimura, shivering.

Many of the other members nodded rather solemnly.

"I'm in the mood for some warm _soba_ when practice is over," Masumi said with a sigh.

"Me too!" said Shizuka. She tightened her hold on her viola case as though she expected it to give her some extra warmth.

"We're buying some new gloves after the rehearsal," Kaoru announced. "Do you, guys, want to join us?"

"Yes, we'll start buying presents for Christmas as well," added Moe.

"Of course, Moe-san!" Tamaki replied a little too enthusiastically. The bespectacled oboe player Hashimoto, his closest friend in the orchestra, nodded to show his agreement.

"After that, let's all have dinner at the Uraken!" suggested Yuki.

"Good idea," Maiko said. "I heard Mine-san had a new heater installed too – "

"Which makes eating _soba_ all the better!" interrupted Masumi happily.

From what seemed to be out of nowhere, Etoh appeared in front of the group. He was wearing a thick black jacket with a high collar that almost completely covered the bottom half of his face.

"Okuyama, can I have a word with you?" he asked in an intimidating voice.

Masumi looked wary but nodded. Like most of the students at Momogaoka and even many of its alumni, he was slightly frightened of Etoh. During his university days, he was one of the numerous students who was grateful that he was not taking up Piano, which meant that he had absolutely no chance of getting Etoh as his instructor. But even though he knew that he was immune to Etoh's famous _harisen_ back then, Masumi still tried to avoid running into Etoh as much as possible. Over time, he deduced that he was successful when it came to that aspect. The only time Etoh had ever spoken to him anyway was when Etoh asked him if he'd seen Nodame hiding somewhere in the campus. For Etoh to even know his name both surprised and scared Masumi.

_What would Etoh-sensei want to talk to me about?_ thought Masumi in confusion. _It can't have anything to do with school, can it? I already graduated more than ten years ago, anyway._

"We'll go ahead, then," Kimura said, interrupting Masumi's inner contemplations.

"See you later, Masumi-chan!" piped in Kaoru as she and the others turned to leave.

When the R S Orchestra members were already several feet away and well out of earshot, Etoh began in a somewhat casual tone, "Let's go to the cafeteria, Okuyama. I'll treat you to some coffee."

"No, thank you, Etoh-sensei," Masumi replied. "I can't stay too long. The orchestra has practice today for the Christmas concert – "

"It's about Noda," said Etoh shortly.

"Eh? What about her?" Masumi asked in surprise as he suddenly found himself incredibly interested in their conversation. Deep inside of him, he hoped that what Etoh had to say had something to do with Nodame and Chiaki's relationship.

"I saw her at Tagaya and Okochi's wedding last week," Etoh continued.

_That's all?_ thought Masumi, averting his eyes so Etoh would not see the disappointment glinting in them.

"She's still probably in Japan, you know," said Etoh.

All Masumi could do was nod.

"I thought that maybe because you're her friend, you would have wanted to see her," Etoh explained. "You probably haven't talked to her in months. . ."

"More like _years_, I think," put in Masumi softly. After a while, he went on in a louder voice, "Was Chiaki-sama at the wedding too?"

Etoh paused before answering, "Tagaya said she invited him to conduct the orchestra that performed at the wedding, but it turned out he was busy."

"Hmm. . ." began Masumi. "Well, we shouldn't expect any different from Chiaki-sama. He never really seems to run out of work."

"Noda said so too," Etoh said with a sigh. "She mentioned that she hasn't talked to him in months."

"They're still not on good terms with each other, then," Masumi murmured in a disheartened manner.

"Why?" inquired Etoh. "Did they fight about something?"

"Ryu-chan told me back in July that those two argued about something," Masumi said. "They probably still haven't made up. . . . Wait, Etoh-sensei, why do you seem so concerned about Nodame's relationship with Chiaki-sama?"

"Ah, well. . ." Etoh began, appearing as though he was at a loss for words.

Masumi anxiously stared at his face, waiting for Etoh to say more.

"I'm not concerned about it," Etoh insisted in an indifferent voice. "I've never given a damn about either Noda or Chiaki, anyway. I just want to do something. . . to pay them back."

"'Pay them back?'"

"Those two. . . . Well, I'd be lying if I said that they weren't the best students I've ever had," explained Etoh. "And even though I was the one instructing them at that time, they both taught me some things too." It seemed as though he was making a great effort not to look too embarrassed.

Masumi made a small smile.

"For one thing, they taught me how to get rid of my _harisen_," Etoh went on.

"_Thankfully_," said Masumi under his breath.

"_What was that 'thankfully' for, Okuyama?!_" demanded Etoh in a thunderous voice.

"Nothing at all!" Masumi assured him quite nervously.

_It doesn't look like either Chiaki-sama or Nodame managed to change his temper, though_, he said to himself.

"Anyway, they taught me to understand my students more too," continued Etoh, returning to his more composed tone. "I have to admit that I'm very proud to have been the teacher of two of the most famous classical artists in the world today," he added in a somewhat triumphant manner.

"That's good," Masumi sighed.

"I know Chiaki's always been a vague one and Noda's always been a weird one," said Etoh. "I understand that because of their thoroughly opposite personalities, there are a lot of things stopping them from taking the next step in their relationship. . . . If it's possible, I want to do something to help."

"Etoh-sensei. . ." Masumi began in amazement. "How in the world do you know those things?"

"I'm married, Okuyama," replied Etoh. "It takes experience and observation to know that."

Masumi made an awestruck sort of nod and piped in, "Your wife must have had _quite_ an experience, then."

"_What did you say?!_" Etoh bellowed.

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As soon as Chiaki unlocked his door and entered his apartment, he went into his bedroom and pulled out an empty black duffel bag from underneath his bed. He hurriedly stuffed two pairs of black trousers and four pairs of white long-sleeved polo shirts into the bag before zipping it up and glancing at his wristwatch. He saw that the time was 5:32 in the afternoon.

_I still have about half an hour before my bus leaves for St. Paul_, he thought, letting out a relieved sigh. _Maybe I should make myself something to eat. . ._

He strode out of his bedroom and went into the kitchen, where he started busying himself with making a simple omelet sandwich. Right after he finished beating two eggs in a small bowl, he went out of the kitchen again and walked over to his desk, where his answering machine was placed next to his sleek black laptop. The answering machine's red light was blinking brightly to show that it had a message for Chiaki waiting to be heard. He pressed a button on the answering machine and heard a female voice speak.

"_You have 12 messages_," said the voice.

"Huh?!" Chiaki asked in utter surprise, as though he expected the machine to explain why he had so many messages. He pressed the button again and after a few seconds, a familiar male voice speaking in rapid French started issuing out of the machine's speaker.

"Chiaki, it's me! It's Lucas!" the voice piped in. "Please pick up! It's very urgent."

"_Dammit_," muttered Chiaki furiously. He rolled his eyes in frustration and headed back into the kitchen.

When he started pouring the eggs onto a pan placed on top of the stove, he heard a beeping sound coming out of the answering machine and afterwards Lucas's voice continuing in a rather impatient tone, "Chiaki, why won't you pick up? Isn't this your number?"

There was another beeping sound before he heard Lucas's voice again.

"Chiaki, answer me! _Please!!!_" Lucas's voice pleaded. "I have something very important to tell you."

After another beep, Lucas's voice went on, "Chiaki, come on!"

_Stupid kid_, Chiaki thought savagely, flipping the half-cooked omelet on the pan. _When will he stop?_

"Chiaki, you have _got_ to answer me!" said Lucas's voice after yet another beeping sound. "This is a life-and-death situation!"

There was another beep before Lucas's voice cried loudly, "Chiaki, my grandmother got caught up in an accident somewhere in downtown Chicago! Please help me – !"

"_Liar_," Chiaki hissed as he placed the omelet in between two thick slices of wheat bread and wrapped his newly-made sandwich in a large piece of paper towel. _He's involving his grandmother too?!_ he added in his mind.

"Her car collided with a truck on Michigan Avenue!" Lucas's voice continued. "You're the only person I know who can help her! Please, Chiaki! I will – "

All at once, Chiaki strode out of the kitchen with the sandwich in his hand and returned to his desk. He immediately stopped hearing Lucas's voice when he jabbed his finger on the answering machine button. Another beeping sound came out before Lucas's voice started speaking again. This time, Chiaki could hear a hint of a chuckle in the voice he had already been hearing for the past several minutes.

"I'm just kidding," said Lucas's voice brightly. "My grandmother's in Paris and she's perfectly safe. Just _please_ pick up the phone!"

Chiaki made an exasperated groan before going back to his bedroom to get his duffel bag. As he grabbed the bag from the bed, he heard another beep from the next room and Lucas's voice speaking once more.

"I'll be honest with you, then," said the voice. "It's about her. It's about Nodame. I know you'd want to hear what I have to say, but it's a long story and I need your response so answer me for goodness sake!"

_Why would you need my answer?_ Chiaki thought, his insides boiling with anger. _Are you asking for my blessing as well?_

He opened his bag and threw the wrapped sandwich on top of his clothes inside of it before rushing out of his bedroom. The moment he stepped out into the living room, another beep issued from the answering machine.

"I proposed to her last Thursday," Lucas's voice explained. "It was after her performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony. I was planning on proposing to her someplace special, maybe during a candlelit dinner or – "

Chiaki walked over to his desk and hit the answering machine button so hard that he hurt his own finger.

"_Dammit!_" he said in an irate undertone.

There was another beeping sound before Lucas's voice went on, "Chiaki, it's not as bad as it sounds. Actually, it's good news!"

_How can it be good news to me?_ Chiaki thought bitterly, feeling like his heart was being crushed into pieces. With an expression of pain in his eyes, he glanced at the answering machine one last time before briskly walking out of his apartment and slamming the door shut behind him.

Another beep came out of the answering machine and rang throughout the empty apartment as the twelfth and final message began to play.

"She said 'no!'" said Lucas's voice. "It's because she still loves you. She always has! Just please answer the phone so I can explain everything to you."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I hope this rather lengthy chapter makes up for my inability to update this fic fast enough. ;-)

I tried to squeeze in as many events in this particular chapter as I possibly could. I hope the action wasn't too fast!

By the way, Gerard Salonga is a real person, like many of the other supporting characters in this story. He is a Filipino conductor and is also well-known for being the brother of the successful singer and theater actress Leah Salonga. I do believe I mentioned him in Lesson 6 as well.

All your comments are highly appreciated.


	39. Lesson 39

**LESSON 39**

"All right, let's have a 15-minute break," said Chiaki in a loud clear voice as he set down his baton. "Everybody should be back here at exactly 4:30. We need to polish that flute solo too," he added, nodding at the female flautist who was going to perform the solo passage in Debussy's _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chiaki watched the chamber orchestra members quickly trooping out of the concert hall as he leafed through his score and jotted down a few reminders. All of a sudden, he heard somebody from behind him say excitedly, "You've done really well with the orchestra, Chiaki-kun! They've already made so much progress after just a few days of practice!"

Chiaki turned around and flashed a small smile at Katahira, who was standing at the bottom step of the stage and clasping his hands together with a jolly twinkle in his eyes.

"We're having some problems with the flute solo at the beginning," Chiaki admitted as he stepped down from the conductor's podium and walked over to Katahira.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Chiaki-kun!" said Katahira brightly. "It's just a flute solo anyway – !"

_It's not _just _a flute solo!_ thought Chiaki incredulously, his eyes widening.

" – and besides, it's almost Christmas!" Katahira continued. "It's the perfect time for fun and laughter!"

All Chiaki managed to do was make a reluctant sort of nod.

"Ah!" Katahira exclaimed. "I'm going with my wife and kids to the Mall of America to do our Christmas shopping tomorrow. Do you want to join us? It'll be lots of fun!" he added with a chuckle.

"The orchestra needs more practice," Chiaki said hurriedly. "We need to perfect the Debussy piece by tomorrow – "

"What day is it tomorrow?" inquired Katahira suddenly.

"Huh?" Chiaki asked in confusion. After a moment, he said, "Tomorrow's Wednesday, isn't it?"

Katahira grinned at him mischievously before explaining, "It's an unwritten rule among the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra members not to have rehearsals on Wednesdays."

_"Unwritten rule?!"_ Chiaki thought, his temper rising.

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Chiaki-kun!" insisted Katahira. He hit Chiaki lightly on the shoulder to emphasize his point.

Chiaki remained silent for what seemed like many long minutes.

"Fine, I'll accompany you and your family tomorrow," he muttered in a defeated tone, speaking at last.

"Great!" Katahira piped in. "It will be so much fun! Why don't you buy some presents tomorrow as well?"

_And who am I supposed to give those presents to?_ Chiaki asked in his mind bitterly.

As if answering his companion's thoughts, Katahira suggested, "I'm sure Nodame-chan would love to receive something really special this year. . . . Why don't you buy her a pretty bracelet? There are a lot of wonderful jewelry shops in the Mall of America."

_She already got something special this year_, thought Chiaki. He felt his heart sinking.

"Or you could just buy a present for me!" Katahira went on gleefully. "You know, I've always wanted to own an Armani tuxedo," he added in a very audible whisper.

Chiaki merely stared at him.

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_Why did I agree to go shopping with Katahira-san?_ thought Chiaki regretfully as he stepped out of his hotel room. _That idiot. I could be polishing the Debussy piece with the orchestra right now if he hadn't suggested – no, _forced_ me to tag along._

He closed the door behind him and let out a heavy sigh. Just then, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and read the name "Barenboim" on the LCD. Even though inside of him he didn't want to answer the Chicago Symphony music director's call, he pressed the Answer button and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked in a rather tired voice.

"Hello, Shinichi!" Barenboim replied brightly. "How are things going over there? Is the chamber orchestra doing fine?"

Chiaki made a sound that seemed to be a grunt of approval before saying, "We still need some work on the _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_. We'll try to finish it tomorrow."

_We could be working on it today if it wasn't for that damn Katahira and his Christmas shopping_, he thought heatedly.

"'Tomorrow?'" repeated Barenboim in a somewhat disbelieving tone. "Don't you have any rehearsals today?"

"It's an unwritten rule for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra to have no rehearsals on Wednesdays," Chiaki explained, repeating almost word-for-word what Katahira had told him the day before.

Just then, he heard an incredibly loud laugh issue from his phone's speaker. Chiaki rolled his eyes, thankful that Barenboim could not see him.

"And you actually agreed to have no rehearsals today?" Barenboim asked, still chuckling. "That's very unlike you, Shinichi!"

Chiaki remained silent.

"So what are you going to do today?" continued Barenboim.

There was a long pause before Chiaki muttered, "Christmas shopping."

He heard another laugh, this one much louder than the first.

"I don't know what's come over you," said Barenboim when he finally stopped laughing, "but I think I like the serious overworking Shinichi better. . ."

"I'll buy you a present," Chiaki found himself saying for no reason.

_What in the world did I just say?_ he asked himself in disbelief.

Chiaki was no longer surprised when he heard Barenboim laugh for the third time.

"I don't really mind if you don't buy me anything," Barenboim said after he was able to recover once again from laughing. "Besides, I don't celebrate Christmas, remember?"

"Huh?" asked Chiaki, puzzled. "Why not?"

"I'm Jewish," Barenboim replied. "And Hanukkah already ended last week anyway."

"Oh," was all Chiaki could say in answer. He felt incredibly stupid at that moment. To keep the conversation going, he decided to ask, "Where exactly are you right now?"

"I'm in L.A.," Barenboim answered. "I conducted the L.A. Philharmonic last Friday, actually. They're a superb orchestra! And the weather here is wonderful as well. It's a bit hard to imagine that Chicago's already buried in snow when L.A.'s still so warm. . . . You know, I could get used to this sort of weather," he added jokingly.

Neither of them spoke for what appeared to be several long seconds.

"Ah, Shinichi, I just remembered!" exclaimed Barenboim all of a sudden. "Victor told me that some Frenchman called the office the other day. He was asking for you – "

Chiaki's eyes widened.

_It can't be Lucas. . . can it?_ he thought, starting to feel a little worried.

"Did he say what his name was?" he asked.

Barenboim hesitated before replying, "Baudry, I think. Do you know him?"

"No, I don't think so," Chiaki murmured.

_Come to think of it, I don't even know Lucas's last name_, he thought. _Maybe that Baudry fellow isn't him at all._

"Anyway, Victor told him that if he wanted to see you, he'd find you in St. Paul," continued Barenboim somewhat nonchalantly.

"All right," Chiaki said. "Thanks for informing me."

"No problem, my dear boy," Barenboim assured him. "Well, I better hang up now. My plane's leaving in half an hour. Enjoy your Christmas shopping, Shinichi!"

"Er, thanks," was all Chiaki could say in answer.

He heard Barenboim make another loud guffaw before a clicking sound which issued from Barenboim's end of the line showed that he had already hung up.

"_Well, it's off to Christmas shopping_," Chiaki said under his breath in a resigned tone as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket and made his way towards the elevator.

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"Christmas shopping is really fun, isn't it?" Katahira said with a satisfied sigh as he sat down on one of the plastic chairs in the Mall of America food court. He placed his shopping bags on top of the table in front of him and leaned back on his chair.

Chiaki made no answer as he followed suit and planted himself on the chair next to his companion. However, unlike Katahira, he was not carrying any shopping bags.

"So. . ." began Katahira, abruptly sitting up and facing Chiaki. "What do you want to eat for lunch, Chiaki-kun? I'll treat you!" he added in an excited voice as he rubbed his palms together.

"Anything would be fine," Chiaki said.

"Oh, come on! You _have_ to name something specific!" Katahira insisted, hitting Chiaki lightly on the arm.

There was a long moment's pause before Chiaki finally answered, "What about a hamburger?"

"That's more like it!" said Katahira brightly. "I'll be right back. If you see my wife and my son, tell them I'm just off to buy some food for lunch." With that, he stood up and walked briskly to a hamburger stall several feet away from their table.

As he watched Katahira move farther away from him, Chiaki could not help but heave a tired sigh. After a moment, he pulled out of his thick coat's inner pocket a folded music score with a tattered cover and crumpled edges. He carefully unfolded it and tried to flatten it out completely to make it look the way it did before its present (and rather dilapidated) condition. . . to no avail.

"_Dammit_," he murmured.

_Oh, well_, he thought, opening the score to the very first page. He saw that the margins were already filled with his own scribbles and some hastily-written reminders he had jotted down during rehearsals.

_If Katahira-san won't let me practice with the orchestra today_, he said in his mind, _I'll just have to rehearse the piece by myself_.

Taking a deep breath, Chiaki started humming the melody of the _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_. As he turned a page, he heard a familiar voice say loudly in French, "I _knew_ I'd find you here! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Chiaki froze on his seat. He slowly looked up to see who had spoken, hoping that it was not –

"_Lucas_," said Chiaki in a voice that was merely a breath. "What are you doing here?" he added in a louder and terser voice. He instantly fixed his eyes on the score on his lap again as though nothing had happened.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" asked Lucas, ignoring the question and motioning at the seat across from Chiaki.

Chiaki made a sound like a grunt which Lucas took to mean "no." With a beam, he quickly sat himself on the chair across from the man who now considered him to be a mortal enemy. There was a lengthy and incredibly awkward silence before Lucas spoke.

"Chiaki," he began in a rather unsure tone, "did you receive my message?"

"Which one?" Chiaki asked coldly, not taking his eyes off the score.

Lucas let out a gleeful laugh. He did not notice that his companion flashed him a deadly glare.

"I'm sorry I sent so many," he said, making a small smile. "I wasn't sure if I got the right number. . . . It must have been really bothersome for you to have to listen to my 12 messages – "

"11," Chiaki corrected him in the same icy tone as he turned another page of his score.

When Lucas remained silent, Chiaki looked up at him. He saw that the expression on the young Frenchman's face was that of confusion.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I left you 12 messages," Lucas put in.

"I'm pretty sure you left only 11."

"Is that so?" asked Lucas in a soft voice. "Well, I suppose it was 11, then. . ."

Chiaki frowned at him and went back to his score. After some time, he murmured, "I have to offer you my congratulations."

"Huh?" Lucas inquired with a look of genuine bewilderment.

_What the hell was that "huh" for?_ Chiaki thought furiously as he continued staring intently at the score in front of him. He tried to focus completely on the piece, although deep inside of him he knew that his mind was concentrated on anything _but_ preludes, summer afternoons, and solo flute passages (or fauns, for that matter).

"What are you talking about, Chiaki?" asked Lucas, an amused grin on his face. "I thought you already listened to the messages I sent you."

_All I heard from you was "Please pick up the phone!"_ thought Chiaki, wondering if this was the time when his anger would finally reach its limit.

"Ah, Chiaki-kun! Who's your friend?" Katahira said as he approached their table. He was holding a large tray of burgers, French fries, and soft drinks. When he reached their table, he quickly set the tray down and smiled widely at Lucas.

"This is. . . an acquaintance from Paris," explained Chiaki. "His name's Lucas."

"How do you do, Lucas?" Katahira asked politely, extending his hand to the young man. "I'm Katahira. Katahira Hajime."

Lucas immediately stood up and shook hands with him.

"How do you know Chiaki?" inquired Lucas.

"Oh, we both competed in the 13th Platini Conductors' Competition," Katahira said. "Chiaki won, you know," he added with a wink.

Lucas laughed and gave Chiaki a smile.

"Please take a seat!" said Katahira, motioning for his new acquaintance to return to his place in front of Chiaki. "And feel free to get some fries!"

"Thank you," Lucas replied quickly, "but can I take Chiaki away from you for a while? I've been meaning to talk to him about something really important. . . if it's not too much to ask, of course."

"Go ahead!" said Katahira. "But you better be back soon, Chiaki-kun, or else I'll finish up all these fries!" He chuckled mischievously and gave Chiaki a slight push on the back.

Chiaki reluctantly stood up and folded his score of the _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_. When he carefully placed it back in his coat's inner pocket, he made a quick nod at Lucas.

_I hope whatever he has to tell me better be worth my time_, Chiaki thought irately. _My time has already been wasted as it is._

"Why don't we do some window-shopping, Chiaki?" Lucas asked him. "Just to. . . lighten up the mood a bit," he added cryptically.

"Sure," said Chiaki in a dull voice.

The two of them sauntered off in the direction of a long, wide corridor filled with high-end clothing boutiques. Each boutique along that hallway was filled with incredibly colorful Christmas decorations. Small faux pine trees adorned with glittering tinsel and other fancy trimmings could be seen on display through the shops' large windows. Blinking Christmas lights in all sorts of colors were hanging above the shops' doors. Everything in that corridor seemed to be brimming with Christmas joy and cheer. However, none of the festive decorations were doing anything to make Chiaki lose his ill temper.

"What a colorful Christmas display!" Lucas put in happily. "It reminds me of all the Christmas lights they put up every year on the trees along the Champs Élysées!"

Chiaki remained silent and kept his eyes on the floor as he walked.

"Chiaki. . ." said Lucas after a moment. "I think we might have had a misunderstanding."

"About what?"

"Well, I'm not so sure about this," Lucas explained, "but I think you didn't hear the last message I left you."

_Why does he keep on insisting that I didn't hear his last message?_ Chiaki asked himself. _What in the world is so important about that last one?_

"Chiaki, did you hear what I just said?" inquired Lucas in a doubtful tone when his companion did not answer.

"Take care of her," Chiaki whispered all of a sudden.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Lucas, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"_Take care of her!_" repeated Chiaki in a loud, frustrated voice.

Several people in the corridor turned their heads towards Chiaki and made small frowns at him, much to Chiaki's embarrassment. He hung his head and became silent again. Lucas gave him a sympathetic smile.

_Dammit!_ thought Chiaki irritably. _This day just can't get any worse!_

"I don't understand what you're saying," said Lucas. The look on his face was enough to show that he had absolutely no clue as to what Chiaki was talking about.

Chiaki took a deep breath before saying in a low defeated sort of voice, "If you're going to marry her, you have to take care of her. She can't take care of herself properly. She needs somebody to watch over her. Do that, Lucas. . . for me, at least," he added almost inaudibly.

_It's the least you can do, anyway._

To Chiaki's utter surprise, his companion laughed heartily.

"I think we're having a terrible misunderstanding, Chiaki," Lucas pointed out after he recovered from laughing.

"She said 'yes,' didn't she?" demanded Chiaki, now extremely irritated at the fact that Lucas seemed to have no idea at all about what he was saying. "She agreed to marry you!"

Lucas was about to open his mouth to say something, but then he closed it again.

"Well, didn't she?" Chiaki asked incredulously.

As though finally coming to a realization, Lucas's eyes widened.

"So you didn't hear my final message after all!" he exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"Eh?"

"Didn't you know, Chiaki?" Lucas went on. "She rejected my proposal. She said 'no!'"

Chiaki appeared as though he was finding some difficulty understanding what Lucas had just told him. For what seemed like ages, he did not speak and the expression on his face remained blank. Lucas stared at him for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. The two of them kept walking in silence for several more minutes until Chiaki stopped in his tracks and grabbed hold of Lucas's arm.

"_WHAT?!_" he bellowed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"What is it?" asked Nodame impatiently. She gazed at Lucas's face, waiting for an answer._

_"I. . ." began Lucas, his voice shaking. He tried to avoid looking at Nodame's eyes._

_"Lucas, what is it?" Nodame said. "I need to go now. I have a plane to catch – "_

_"Marry me, Nodame," interrupted Lucas, this time staring directly into her eyes. He slowly pulled out a small dark blue velvet box from deep within his pocket and showed it to Nodame._

_Nodame stared at the box with her mouth hanging open._

_"EH?!" she squealed in shock._

_In one swift motion, Lucas grabbed Nodame's hand and held it tightly._

_"I love you," he said, tightening his hold on her hand even more. "I always have. . . . I just didn't have the courage to tell you then."_

_"B-but why?" Nodame asked in an almost disbelieving tone. "Why now?"_

_"What do you mean?" said Lucas. He paused, then continued, "For a long time, I was so certain that you didn't like me at all. But now that I've found the courage, the _guts_ to face up to you and to tell you my feelings, I don't care if you don't like me. At least, not now. But I want you to learn to love me. Please, Nodame. Please learn to love me. Please marry me."_

_"I can't, Lucas!" Nodame insisted as she pulled her hand away from his grip. "I don't love – "_

_"You don't have to love me _now_!" Lucas interrupted, a feverish sort of passion burning in his eyes. "You can learn to love me later! You _will_ learn to love me! You _can_!"_

_"I. . . can't," murmured Nodame, turning her eyes away. "I can't love you."_

_"But you can learn and you can try – "_

_"Nodame _can't_ learn to love you and she will _not_ try!" Nodame screeched. After a while, she added in a softer voice, "I'm sorry, Lucas. I can't."_

_Lucas looked at her with an expression of complete disappointment._

_"Why not?" he whispered, his eyes downcast._

_"Because Nodame still loves Chiaki-senpai," replied Nodame simply. "She can't love anybody else in the world but him. That will never change."_

_"So. . . you still haven't gotten over him. I thought you already did. It's been years. . ."_

_"Even if it's been a hundred years or even a thousand years," Nodame went on, "nothing will change. I will still love him."_

_"But he doesn't love _you_!" Lucas pressed. "He left you, didn't he?"_

_Nodame didn't answer as tears started to form in her sorrowful eyes._

_"You have _me_!" continued Lucas. "I love you, Nodame! Why not me?" he added somewhat miserably._

_"Of course I have you," Nodame said reassuringly. "You'll always be Nodame's friend! And Nodame loves you too. . . but only as a friend. Please understand, Lucas."_

_Lucas remained silent for a moment and seemed to be groping for the right words to say in answer._

_"Then," he began, "as a friend, will you still have me in your life? Will you let our friendship remain the same?"_

_Nodame smiled broadly at him._

_"Yes, Lucas!" she said. "Of course!" With that, she threw her arms around Lucas's neck and embraced him tightly._

_"If this is what makes you happy. . ." Lucas said, his voice trailing off as he buried his face in Nodame's shoulder._

_"Nodame is the happiest person in the world right now!" Nodame put in, her voice choked up in tears. She added more softly, "Nodame will never let our friendship change."_

_"Is that a promise?" Lucas whispered in her ear._

_"Yes, that's a promise," replied Nodame, releasing him from her arms. "We will always be friends."_

_Lucas sighed and flashed her a small smile. He quickly placed the dark blue velvet box back in his pocket._

_"_Gyabo_!" Nodame suddenly exclaimed. "I'm going to be late for my flight!"_

_Lucas laughed, surprised at her sudden change in character._

_"Goodbye, Lucas!" said Nodame, beaming at him._

_"Goodbye, Nodame," Lucas said in reply, watching her briskly walk away from him down the narrow corridor. When she turned a corner and disappeared from his view, he let out a heavy sigh._

I just lost the woman of my dreams_, he thought rather sadly_, but at least she's happy.

_"_Mukya_!" he heard Nodame's voice shriek._

_Lucas jumped in surprise. Just then, he saw Nodame running back towards him._

_"What is it?" he asked. "Did you forget something?"_

_"Yes, I did," answered Nodame._

_Before Lucas knew it, Nodame tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek._

_"Thank you," she said before running back down the corridor and heading for the concert hall's entrance, where a taxi awaited her._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, both of you. . ." Tanya began. "Let's go on vacation during the winter holidays."

"Eh?" asked Franck and Kuroki in unison.

The three of them were shopping for Christmas gifts at the Galeries Lafayette, a classy department store complex in Paris.

"Oh, come on!" pleaded Tanya. "Vacation will be so much fun!"

"But didn't you already go on vacation in the summer?" Franck asked wearily as they walked out of the accessories store where Tanya had just bought a watch as a present.

"No, I didn't," said Tanya, frowning at him. "Neither of you invited me to go anywhere!"

"But I was. . . busy with the Opéra Ballet that time," Franck murmured in an embarrassed sort of manner, scratching his head. "I couldn't just leave them. . ."

Tanya rolled her eyes.

"And I had to go to Vienna for Kyle Dune's birthday performances," put in Kuroki. "Then there was the Roux-Marlet Orchestra as well – "

"Since none of us went on vacation during the summer months, let's go on vacation _now_!" Tanya insisted. To add emphasis to her statement, she relentlessly shook the sleeve of Kuroki's jacket.

"If you had gone someplace in the summer, you wouldn't be bothering to go on vacation right now," Franck pointed out.

Kuroki made a nod in agreement.

"How could I have gone anywhere if neither of you were with me?" asked Tanya incredulously. "I couldn't have very well gone on my own."

"Then let's go to Hong Kong," Kuroki suggested all of a sudden.

"Eh?" Tanya said, looking at him with an expression of curiosity on her heavily made-up face.

Kuroki paused before explaining, "Megumi-chan's having a repeat performance with the Hong Kong Symphony on Christmas. I heard there are only very few seats still available, so – "

"Yes! _YES!!!_ Let's go there!" cried Tanya with delight, interrupting Kuroki for the second time. "I haven't seen Nodame in ages!"

"I'll call Megumi-chan's manager tonight so she can reserve three tickets for us," Kuroki announced, making a small smile at his girlfriend.

Tanya grinned back at him but then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Franck, are you coming too?"

"Hmm. . ." Franck began hesitantly.

"What is it this time?" Tanya asked in a tired voice, prepared for another one of Franck's usual excuses.

There was a long moment's pause before Franck said, "Well, there's going to be a special Christmas Anime Festival at La Défense – "

He immediately stopped speaking upon seeing Tanya's frightening stare.

"Finish what you have to say, Franck!" Tanya snapped.

"L'Arc-en-Ciel is going to have a concert featuring all the anime theme songs they've recorded and Hamasaki Ayumi's going to be their special guest!" Franck said quickly.

Tanya made a face at him.

"All right, then!" said Franck in a rather nervous tone. "I'm going to Hong Kong with you."

"Good," Kuroki said. He then added, "It will be fun, Franck. And you'll get to see Megumi-chan again."

"Yes, I suppose," Franck sighed, drooping his shoulders. "Besides, L'Arc-en-Ciel only performs in Paris ever so often. . ."

"_FRANCK!_" screeched Tanya irritably.

Franck turned his head away from her and did not say anything more.

All three of them were completely silent for some time. When they reached the escalator leading to the ground floor, Tanya turned to Franck.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously, thinking she was going to bark at him again for some reason.

"Franck," Tanya began with a puzzled look on her face. "What the heck is L'Arc-en-Ciel?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm back! I'm so glad I was finally able to add another chapter to this absurdly long tale! And I'm so sorry for making you wait!

By the way, the Mall of America is the biggest shopping center in the US. It's located in Bloomington, a suburb which is just a short distance away from St. Paul.

In case you don't know, L'Arc-en-Ciel is an incredibly famous rock band in Japan. They've been around for decades already and they're a big influence on the more recent and younger J-rock bands. They sang _Ready, Steady, Go!_, the theme song of the anime _Full Metal Alchemist_. Hamasaki Ayumi, on the other hand, is a very famous singer in Japan. She's nicknamed "The Empress" and has sold nearly 50 million copies of all her albums and singles. She sang some songs for the anime _Inuyasha_, among others.

I hope I'll be back very soon to add more chapters!

Tell me what you think!


	40. Lesson 40

**LESSON FORTY**

"Ah, that was a _very_ good dinner," Katahira said with a satisfied sigh as he caressed his stomach. After a moment, he let out a soft burp.

"My dear, don't just do those things all of a sudden!" piped in his wife, who was seated right next to him on the large ginger-colored couch in their living room. Her normally pale cheeks turned slightly pink.

"What things?" asked Katahira in wonder.

"Like. . . burping!" his wife answered at once, the embarrassment in her tone of voice extremely evident. "_In front of our house guests!_" she added in a voice that sounded even more mortified than before.

To her complete shock, her husband guffawed loudly.

"There's no need to be so prim and proper in front of Chiaki-kun!" Katahira insisted. "He's been having dinner here at our place nearly every night! He's almost like family already! Isn't that right, Chiaki-kun?" he added, grinning at Chiaki, who was sitting on a solitary armchair in one of the room's dark corners in complete silence.

"Ah. . ." was all Chiaki could say in answer.

Katahira's wife opened her mouth to say something more, but then she let out a defeated sigh and stood up.

"It's getting late," she said. "I'm off to bed. Good night, Chiaki-kun. Take care when you go back to the hotel," she put in with a small smile at Chiaki before going up the stairs and disappearing into the darkness of the house's second floor.

"Don't you think the house has become a little too quiet?" Katahira inquired in a voice that made it seem as though he was talking to himself. After a moment, he exclaimed, "Ah! I know just the cure for this silence!"

With that, he rubbed his palms together excitedly and let out a mischievous sort of snigger.

_What is he planning on doing now?_ Chiaki thought tiredly as he glanced at the clock hanging above the living room fireplace, which read "11:28 PM." _It's almost midnight. I should be going back to the hotel now. We still have rehearsals early tomorrow. . ._

"Son!" called Katahira loudly. "Are you still awake? Come down here!"

After several minutes, Katahira's 19-year-old son slowly came down the stairs wearing a pair of maroon striped pajamas. Though he appeared as though he was ready to go to bed, the look in his eyes showed that he was still wide awake.

"What is it, Dad?" he asked.

"Play something for us," Katahira replied simply, motioning at the Yamaha baby grand piano placed next to the fireplace.

"Okay, then," his son said at once. He walked over to the piano and planted himself on the seat as he opened the lid.

"I think I should be going now, Katahira-san," said Chiaki all of a sudden, standing up. "The rehearsals tomorrow start at 8 o'clock in the morning – "

"Oh, just one song!" Katahira insisted as he got up from his place and forced Chiaki back onto the armchair. He laughed before saying, "This will be really fun!"

_Don't you always say that anyway?_ Chiaki asked in his mind irately.

"And I'm sure you would love to hear my son's playing," continued Katahira, returning to his seat on the couch. "He's a first year student at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, you know. He's majoring in Composition but he also has hopes of being a professional pianist."

Even in the semi-darkness of the room, Chiaki clearly saw a mixture of pride and happiness in Katahira's eyes. He could not blame Katahira, though.

_The Juilliard School of Music accepts only the best students_, he reasoned. _I've heard of people who are willing to die just to pass the auditions there. . . . His son must be incredibly skillful to be able to study at such a place. Hearing the performance of a Juilliard student. . . is just too good a thing to pass up!_

"Then. . ." Chiaki began. "What about playing some Beethoven?"

"Sure, I love Beethoven!" piped in Katahira's son. He took a deep breath before setting his hands on top of the piano keys.

The silence which Katahira seemed to dread was immediately broken when his son began to play a mournful and somewhat haunting repetition of extremely soft and slow arpeggios. The very low octave-spanning chords played by the left hand sounded like a droning voice echoing a lament.

_Beethoven's fourteenth piano sonata, commonly referred to as "Moonlight"_, Chiaki said to himself. _Its famous first movement is a continuous repetition of triplet arpeggios, colored only by the addition of flats and sharps. . . . His tempo and rhythm appear to be steady enough, although I feel that there's something lacking in his interpretation of the piece –_

"Stop, stop!" Katahira exclaimed all of a sudden, interrupting Chiaki's contemplations.

His son instantly stopped playing and stared at him in wonder.

"That piece is too sad!" said Katahira. "It's only a few days until Christmas. You shouldn't be playing something so depressing, son! Besides, isn't it true that when a person plays the Moonlight sonata at midnight, the piano will catch fire?"

"_Huh?!_" both Chiaki and Katahira's son asked in unison.

"Play the _Pathétique_ sonata instead," Katahira told his son with a reassuring sort of nod. "I like that piece better. Ah! What about starting with the second movement as well? That's the part I like the most."

_Isn't _Pathétique _a sad piece too?!_ thought Chiaki in disbelief.

Katahira's son shrugged and turned back to face the keys in front of him. He hesitated for a second before he began playing the second movement of Beethoven's _Pathétique_ sonata.

"_Adagio cantabile_," Chiaki murmured under his breath as he listened to that sad, quiet melody he knew so well.

_It's different from the way Nodame plays it, that's for sure_, he observed.

He noticed that Katahira's son, though skilled, did not play with as much expressivity as Nodame. But then again, when he thought about it carefully, Chiaki realized that he did not actually know of any pianist who played like her at all. His experience as a conductor gave him the opportunity to become acquainted with countless numbers of pianists, but he had to admit that he had never encountered one who had as much emotional power as Nodame. She had the effortless capability of moving people's hearts with her music.

_I can't even remember a single concert of hers where there wasn't a person in the audience who cried_, he said to himself. _That ability. . . . It's a rare gift, even among musicians. She can transport her listeners into different worlds. She can move them in ways they would never have thought possible. That girl really is amazing. Her talents seem to be utterly limitless._

A small but meaningful smile passed across his lips. But just then, another thought came to his mind.

_Her piano takes me closer to her. . . and yet in some ways, it also seems to take me farther and farther away._

Chiaki felt a painfully sharp pang in his heart.

_How much farther away from her can it still possibly take me?_ he asked himself, feeling dread overtake his body. _I know it was my fault back then that she drew away from me, that her music became distant to me. But I've tried to draw closer to her again, didn't I? Then, how come whenever I do so, she always seems to be holding back? Doesn't she want me to come back to her anymore?_

"_Dammit_," her muttered furiously in a voice that sounded like only a breath.

_What does it matter if she refused Lucas's proposal? It still doesn't make it absolutely certain that she'll let me be what I once was in her life. Her refusal to marry him doesn't mean that it's _me_ she wants to be with._

_The fact that she keeps changing her mind about everything, the fact that she's so inconsistent is the very reason why she seems so faraway now. She may have told Lucas that her feelings for me are still the same. . . but does that even mean she wants to take a step further? That _hentai_! Why can't I understand her at all? I thought I was the one person in the world who knew her the best. . ._

All at once, a voice spoke in his head.

_Is it really her whom you don't understand?_ it said. _Or is it _you_?_

_Me?!_ he argued incredulously. _How can I not understand myself? I want to be with her! Isn't that enough?_

Chiaki thought he heard the voice make a tired sigh before saying, _What's stopping you, then, Shinichi?_

_What are you saying?_ he asked the voice. _You don't know a thing about what's going on, anyway. You're just a figment of my imagination. How could you possibly know anything? Just leave me alone._

He made a soft groan, expecting the voice in his head to say something back, although it did not speak again afterwards. With that, he heaved a sigh of relief. For a few moments, he simply sat still in absolute silence, trying to control the feelings of frustration threatening to burst from inside of him.

But as though out of the blue, he recalled something else that Lucas told him during their conversation at the Mall of America exactly one week previously, something which he had not given that much thought until then.

* * *

_"So that's what happened," said Lucas, glancing for a second at his companion as they continued walking along the heavily-decorated corridors of the Mall of America. He furrowed his eyebrows a little when he saw the blank expression on Chiaki's face._

_ "Hey, Chiaki. . ." Lucas went on. "Aren't you going to say something?"_

Could he be lost for words because he's beside himself with joy?_ he asked himself, failing to resist a smile that was creeping onto his boyish face._

_ When Chiaki still did not say anything in answer, Lucas let out a laugh and said, "I guess this is meant to be your 'go' signal, isn't it?"_

_ "What are you talking about?" asked Chiaki softly, speaking at last. He hung his head and did not look at Lucas directly in the eyes._

_ "Isn't it?" Lucas insisted. "Weren't you just waiting for something, a sort of sign to tell you that it's your chance?"_

_ "'Chance?'" Chiaki asked in confusion. "A chance to do what?"_

_ Against Chiaki's expectations, a look that was a mixture of shock and anger appeared on Lucas's face._

_ "_Idiot_," he heard the young man mutter._

_ "Huh?"_

_ "You idiot, Chiaki!" said Lucas in an infuriated tone of voice. "How can you be so dense?"_

_ Chiaki was about to open his mouth to speak, but Lucas suddenly interrupted._

_ "She loves you!" Lucas continued. After a moment, he added, "Can't you see how obvious it is?!"_

_ Again, Chiaki refused to answer and avoided Lucas's eyes._

I'm no good at these sorts of things, you know! _he thought irately._

_ "She's been waiting for you all this time!" said Lucas, who immediately stopped walking and grabbed Chiaki firmly by the shoulders. "_She loves you_! Isn't that sufficient enough a reason to understand exactly how she feels?"_

_ "I. . . don't understand what you mean," Chiaki whispered back. He shook off Lucas's hands which still had a strong grip on his shoulders and walked away, quickening his pace._

_ "Well, don't you love her too?" he heard Lucas's voice say loudly behind him._

_ Chiaki froze on the spot and slowly looked back at the young man._

_ "I know you'd hate to hear this from me," Lucas said more softly, "but you're being terribly obvious too."_

* * *

_A chance_, Chiaki thought. _Do I really still have a chance?_

He spent several seconds thinking hard on it, until he finally made up his mind.

_I _do_ have a chance_, he told himself with a feeling of confidence that he did not know actually existed inside of him. _And I'm taking it. If she refuses me again. . . well, damn that woman if she does. But I'm certain about it now. I'm not giving up on her again. I already made that mistake before. I would be a much bigger idiot than I am now if I end up making that same mistake yet again._

Almost all at once, Chiaki stood up from the armchair. Katahira's son noticed their guest's sudden movement and stopped playing.

"Chiaki-kun, what is it?" Katahira inquired with a look of puzzlement on his features.

"Please excuse me," replied Chiaki hastily. Without another word, he hurriedly strode into the foyer and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack before rushing out of the front door.

"Where is he going?" Katahira's son asked.

Katahira paused before answering, "I have no idea."

In his usual manner, he guffawed and said, "Never mind about that now. He's just probably in a hurry to go back to the hotel. I have to admit we _have_ kept him a little too long. . . . Oh, _do_ finish with those last three chords, son."

His son jumped in surprise and placed his hands on top of the ivory keys again, playing the last three _pianissimo_ chords of the second movement of Beethoven's _Pathétique_ sonata.

* * *

As soon as he reached the entrance of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Chiaki nearly sprinted out of his taxi without bothering to get his change from the driver and entered the airport's huge lobby with its bright lights and enormous windows. He saw that the lobby was swarming with thousands of travelers who were rushing to go home for Christmas on overnight flights.

_As expected, this place is jam-packed at Christmas_, he thought in frustration. _I hope there's still room for chance passengers at this rate._

"I have to look for the Japan Airlines ticket office first," Chiaki said to himself.

Looking around (and managing to see past the multitude of heads before his eyes), Chiaki saw a security guard standing next to the entrance doors. He walked over to where the guard was standing at once.

"Excuse me, where's the ticket office of Japan Airlines?" he asked.

"Japan Airlines?" the guard repeated. He hesitated before continuing, "I'm sorry, sir, but this airport doesn't have a Japan Airlines ticket office."

"Eh?" said Chiaki, bewildered. _How can there _not_ be a JAL ticket office? Isn't that a major airline company?_ he asked in his mind.

"May I ask where you're going exactly?" inquired the guard.

"To Tokyo," Chiaki replied. "I thought this was an international airport – "

"Oh, it is," the guard assured him, interrupting what he was saying. "But all incoming and outgoing international flights here are operated by Northwest Airlines. . . . Do you already have a ticket, sir?"

"No, I'm hoping to catch a flight as a chance passenger."

"There's the Northwest Airlines ticket office right there," the guard explained, pointing at a counter several meters away. "It's pretty difficult to get on as a chance passenger, especially since so many people are traveling right now. Anyway, good luck to you."

"Thanks," Chiaki muttered hurriedly, walking briskly in the direction of the Northwest Airlines ticket office without another word.

When he reached the ticket counter, he was greeted by the personnel with a broad smile.

"How may I help you?" she asked kindly.

"When's the next flight to Tokyo?" asked Chiaki, who did not pay the least bit of attention to her politeness towards him.

"It's leaving in an hour, sir," the personnel replied.

"Is that flight open for chance passengers?"

"Let me check," said the personnel as she typed something on her computer's keyboard. After about a minute, she went on, "There's still one vacant seat in Business Class. Would you like to take it?"

"Aren't there any seats available in Economy?" Chiaki asked, fearing that he might not have enough money to afford a Business Class ticket.

_I should have gone back to the hotel to get some money before coming here_, he thought with regret. _I didn't even bother to get some spare clothes._

"I'm afraid the Business Class seat is the only one left," answered the personnel.

"Hold on a moment," Chiaki told her. He quickly took out his wallet and counted the money inside of it. He realized that he only had $20 left in his wallet.

_Dammit, this is unbelievable!_ he thought heatedly.

Seeing the expression of disbelief on Chiaki's face, the personnel quickly put in, "We accept credit cards, sir."

"Oh, right," was all Chiaki could say in answer.

_That ticket can't be less than $800_, he said to himself. _Well, I suppose I really have no other choice. . ._

"Here," he muttered as he pulled out one of the credit cards from his wallet and handed it to the personnel.

"The ticket costs $850," the personnel explained.

Chiaki nodded somewhat impatiently.

After about five minutes, the personnel handed him back his credit card along with the plane ticket.

"Here you go, sir," she said brightly. "You have a Business Class seat on Northwest Airlines Flight TW43 from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Narita International Airport. The plane will arrive in Tokyo on Friday, December 20 at 2:30 AM local time. The boarding area is in the Lindbergh Terminal's Concourse C. Please have your ticket registered at the check-in area over there before going to the terminal," she added, nodding her head in the direction of the Northwest Airlines check-in counter.

"All right, thank you," Chiaki replied with a nod before turning away from her.

As he made his way to the check-in counter, he glanced at his watch and read "12:36 AM." It was only at that moment did he notice how tired he already was. Trying to stifle a yawn, he positioned himself at the end of a fairly long line of equally tired-looking passengers who were also taking the night flight to Tokyo.

_Is this all really going to be worth it?_ he asked himself wearily.

* * *

On that cool and quiet Thursday afternoon at the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra's main concert hall, the playful but powerful and resolute sounds of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major were bouncing across the walls. The entire orchestra and even their conductor seemed to be dancing along to the march-like rhythm of the piece. There was something very childlike and naïve about its melody that reminded one of a fairy tale set in a magical toy land.

The guest conductor Gerard Salonga could not help but flash a smile at the orchestra in front of him. They had been working on that piece for nearly three weeks already and he was glad that their rehearsals were still running smoothly so far. But just then, he heard something strange.

_Did Nodame ignore that half rest in the 86__th__ measure just then?_ he thought in wonder.

He ventured a glance over his shoulder at the woman seated in front of the enormous Bechstein and saw that there was a frown on her face. He could not help noticing her protruding lips.

_Maybe I should just ignore it_, he decided, turning back to face the orchestra.

As they moved on to a quieter and somewhat sadder part of the piece, though, Salonga observed that Nodame continued playing in _fortissimo_ even though that portion was marked on the score as _mezzo piano_. He also realized that the rhythm of the piano was gradually falling behind the rhythm of the orchestra.

_She's playing it very messily_, he said in his mind. _I don't mind her playing the wrong dynamics during rehearsals. . . but she's not even looking at my conducting. This won't do._

"Stop, everyone!" Salonga said in a booming voice, setting his baton carefully on his stand.

When the entire orchestra stopped playing, he stepped down from his podium and walked over to Nodame.

"Not having a very good day?" he asked as he leaned against the piano.

"Nodame can't become friends with Shostakovich," Nodame mumbled in a miserable manner.

Salonga gazed at her with an amused expression on his face and said, "You've only been acquainted with him for a few weeks. Just give him some more time."

Nodame averted her eyes and did not answer.

"Besides," Salonga continued, "the second and third movements are close to perfect already. We just need to polish the first movement a little bit."

All of a sudden, Nodame said in a loud, firm voice, "Once more, then! From the top!"

The orchestra members found it difficult to resist smiling at her.

"It's all right," said Salonga reassuringly. "You don't have to push yourself too hard."

"Eh?" Nodame asked, her already pouting lips jutting out even more.

"Let's continue practicing the Shostakovich piano concerto tomorrow," said Salonga. "The orchestra needs some work on _The Nutcracker_, anyway."

Nodame appeared as though she was about to say something, but instead she let out a disappointed kind of sigh.

"Let's have a 10-minute break and move on to Tchaikovsky," Salonga announced to the orchestra.

The orchestra immediately started rising from their seats. However, Nodame stayed glued to her seat in front of the piano keys.

"You can go now, Nodame," Salonga said. "Why don't you take some time out to rest? You look a little tired," he added after a moment.

"No. I'll. . . just watch the rest of the rehearsal," muttered Nodame, defeat etched on her face.

As he watched her rise from her seat and make her way down the stage, Salonga said in a soft voice that he knew only Nodame would be able to hear, "Nodame. . . . Don't be too hard on yourself. I know I'm not really in the position to say this to you. I just want to help."

Nodame gave him a small smile before walking away and taking a seat on the ninth row of the theater. Heaving a grave sigh, she took out her phone from her pocket and stared at its LCD. On the screen's top left-hand corner, she read the words "December 19".

"_Gyabo!_" she gasped in surprise. "I didn't realize that it's only less than a week until Christmas. I wonder if Senpai has plans to celebrate. . ."

Almost instantly, Nodame had an urge to dial his number, but then something she felt inside stopped her from doing so.

_I wonder if he'll answer my call_, she thought to herself.

She took a deep breath before dialing his number and placed the phone next to her ear, listening anxiously to the ringing sound coming from it. Deep in her heart, she desperately hoped that Chiaki would answer her call but she could not understand why she also did _not_ want him to. An unexplainable sense of dread filled her heart and threatened to take over her mind as well. She felt as though the ringing had been going on for hours already when a voice issued from the phone's speaker.

"_The number you have dialed is currently unattended or out of coverage area. Please try again later._"

"_Haun. . ._" Nodame mumbled miserably, stuffing the phone back into her pocket. She slumped her shoulders and leaned back against her seat with a sigh.

"Ah!" she suddenly exclaimed. She continued in a much softer voice, "Maybe Senpai changed his number. . ."

After several minutes, she noticed the orchestra going back up onto the stage followed by Salonga, who resumed his place on the conductor's podium. It was then that they began playing _The Waltz of the Flowers_, a well-known portion of _The Nutcracker_ ballet suite.

As Nodame listened to the woodwinds and the strings taking turns playing the lovely fast-paced melody, she temporarily forgot about Chiaki and got herself lost in the music. Images of graceful ballerinas leaping in the air and making countless _pirouettes_ were flashing in her mind. She was unconscious that her mouth was forming a very prominent pout and her cheeks were emanating a bright pinkish glow.

"Oh, what a pretty Tchaikovsky!" put in a familiar booming male voice from somewhere behind her.

"Eh?" Nodame asked in wonder, turning her head to see who had just spoken. Her eyes widened with delight when she beheld who it was.

"_Mukya!_" she squealed, standing up from her seat. "Milch!"

"It's been a while since I last saw you, Nodame-chan," Stresemann remarked, flashing a grin at her.

"What are you doing here?" asked Nodame as she led him to the place where she was seated.

"Nothing in particular," Stresemann said in a rather offhanded manner. "I just wanted to get away quickly from the dreadfully cold weather in Berlin. Besides, I have a lot of time on my hands."

"So will you be watching Nodame's performance on Christmas?" Nodame inquired, a hopeful ring in her tone of voice.

"Of course!" replied her companion. "And I've already bought a ticket," he added as he pulled out a rectangular-shaped ticket from his inner coat pocket.

"That's great!"

"But, Nodame-chan. . ." Stresemann began in a surprisingly serious voice. "You seemed to be having problems with Shostakovich during your practice earlier."

"Ah, you were already watching the rehearsal that time?" said Nodame curiously. She turned her head away and muttered, "Then you must have seen how horrible I was."

"What did you say?" Stresemann asked. "My hearing's become very poor lately, so – "

"I failed, Milch," interrupted Nodame, facing Stresemann again. There was a dejected expression on her features.

"How can you think that?" put in Stresemann. "That wasn't the actual performance yet. You still have a few more days to improve."

"But. . . I don't think I can," Nodame admitted in a very low voice, averting her eyes.

There was a long moment's hesitation before Stresemann continued, "You believe that you can't because you've lost all your joy in music. Isn't that so?"

"Huh?" Nodame asked, confused. "But I really enjoyed it! I just couldn't play it well. . ." Her voice dwindled.

"Have you ever heard of a musician who was happy when he couldn't perform to the best of his ability?"

Nodame opened her mouth to speak but found that no words would come out.

"That's half-heartedness, Nodame-chan," Stresemann went on. "You know what I always say about half-heartedness, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose. . ."

Neither of them spoke for a while. After what appeared to be a number of very long minutes, Stresemann made a tired sort of sigh and said, "With the way you are now, you can't be together with Chiaki."

"What?" asked Nodame, who was startled by the maestro's unexpected comment.

"You can't be together with him," Stresemann repeated.

All of a sudden, the color began to rise again in Nodame's face. This time, though, it wasn't because of glee but of anger.

"Didn't you say that before too?!" she demanded incredulously. "Nodame tried to change! And she _did_ change! But everything's still the same! _You still say the same stupid things!_"

"What do you play for, Nodame-chan?" Stresemann asked, changing the topic completely. The calm look on his face showed that he was not the least bit affected by Nodame's sudden change in behavior.

"Eh?"

"Many years ago," explained Stresemann, "I taught my one and only student this: respect people and respect music and that respect will come back to you."

He paused before continuing in a resolute tone, "Face the music seriously! You must play music for the sake of music itself! Don't continue playing music just because someone tells you to! Didn't you study at a music school and pursue this career because music is your passion? Play because you love to! Play because you enjoy it – !"

Stresemann suddenly let out a loud and unpleasant-sounding hacking cough. When he had recovered, he said wearily, "I'm getting old, Nodame-chan. Don't make me repeat that again."

"I did all that," Nodame insisted in a weak whisper, "but I still couldn't get back together with Chiaki-senpai. Even now, I can't." When she blinked, a trail of tears fell down on her cheeks.

"Just remember what I told you and everything will come back to you in the end," said Stresemann simply.

"'Everything?'" Nodame asked. "Milch, I don't understand."

"You will when the time comes," Stresemann replied, standing up from his place and straightening the creases on his coat.

"Where are you going?" asked Nodame, wiping away her tears in one swift motion.

"To Club One More Kiss!" answered Stresemann with something of a perverted sort of smile on his lips. "Hong Kong branch," he added, winking.

"I thought you said you stopped going to all those clubs already," Nodame pointed out.

"Old habits die hard," said Stresemann matter-of-factly. "Bye-bye!" With that, he planted a quick kiss on Nodame's cheek and skipped off towards the concert hall's exit doors.

* * *

As Chiaki was standing in line at the Japan Airlines ticket counter in Narita International Airport, he noticed a subtle but distinct smell about him. He could not clearly make out what that smell was or where it was coming from, but he knew for certain that it was not a pleasant sort of smell. He looked at the people lined up on either side of him and wondered if the smell was coming from them. But just then, he got a strong whiff of that same smell coming from inside his shirt. He quickly pulled up the shirt's collar to his nose to smell it but he immediately drew back when he realized that his shirt was exactly the source of the unwanted odor.

_Dammit_, he thought irritably. _I can't even remember the last time I took a bath. I hope these people all around me won't notice. . ._

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

_So this is how Nodame always feels like_, he said in his mind. _How can she even endure the smell? It's vile! And this itchy feeling. . . . How can that idiot put up with it?_

He tried to make discreet attempts at scratching the itchy parts of his skin.

_I am so disgusted with myself._

"Next, please!" called the Japan Airlines personnel at the counter.

Chiaki realized that it was already his turn at the counter. He immediately walked over to where the personnel was sitting, trying to ignore his unpleasant scent even for just a moment.

"Is there any room for chance passengers on the next plane to Fukuoka?" he asked.

"Please wait a moment," the personnel said. She immediately fixed her eyes on the computer screen in front of her and typed a few things on the keyboard. After a minute, she said, "There are still four unreserved seats available. That flight is scheduled to depart at 8:45 AM later today. Would you like to reserve a seat?"

"Yes, please," Chiaki answered. As though suddenly remembering something, Chiaki continued, "Hold on, is that the _earliest_ flight to Fukuoka?"

"Yes, it is."

"But why is it so late in the day?" he asked in disbelief.

The personnel made an amused smile and replied, "8 o'clock is still rather early, sir."

_That's not what I meant!_ Chiaki thought, his insides now boiling with anger.

"I have to wait here for almost six hours?!" he went on.

When the personnel did not answer, Chiaki added in a voice that resembled a hiss, "_It's 3 o'clock in the morning!_"

"Fukuoka Airport is open only from 7 AM to 10 PM every day," the personnel explained at last, "so as not to disrupt the sleeping hours of Fukuoka's residents."

"_Huh?!_"

_Why the hell isn't that airport open for 24 hours? This is so troublesome. . ._

"We're sorry for the inconvenience," said the personnel in such a frank manner that it irritated Chiaki even more. "That would be ¥7,690," she added.

"Do you accept credit cards?" Chiaki asked, pulling out his card from his wallet.

"Of course."

In a moment, the personnel gave him the plane ticket.

"Enjoy your flight, sir!" she told Chiaki.

"Er, yes, thank you," he murmured in answer as he turned to leave. However, he faced the personnel again and inquired, "Where's the nearest ATM machine here?"

_I should withdraw money to buy some new clothes._

"There's a line of ATM machines in the South Wing of Terminal 1," the personnel answered. "It's right across from the duty free."

"All right, thank you," Chiaki said, managing to make a small smile before turning away again.

"Next, please!" the personnel called as soon as Chiaki stepped away from the counter.

_Ah!_ Chiaki thought, his eyes widening. _I forgot to ask something else._

Without thinking, he rushed back to the counter, where another passenger was already inquiring about the cost of a plane ticket to Sapporo.

"Sir, did you forget something?" asked the personnel, looking up at Chiaki's face with a look of wonder.

"Are there any shower rooms in this airport?" Chiaki asked at once.

"I beg your pardon?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Happy New Year to everyone! I'm sorry once again for taking _forever_ to update this fic. I hate to admit it, but it was mostly due to the fact that I couldn't come up with a decent continuation to the previous chapter.

I made up Katahira's comment about the piano bursting into flames when the Moonlight sonata is played on it at midnight. However, there _is_ a rumor I heard from a friend that when the Moonlight sonata is played on a piano during the full moon, it will catch fire. Apparently, some people believe that that particular piece by Beethoven is cursed. ;-)

It's only now that I realized that I made a mistake with Miyoshi Toshihiko's name. I mentioned him in Lesson 24 as "Tomohiko", mixing up his real name Toshihiko and the name of the R S Orchestra violinist and Mine's pen pal Kimura Tomohito. Sorry for the inaccuracy!

I also apologize to everybody whom I sent a message about the DVD of Nodame Cantabile the Final Movement: Part One being released on Christmas. It turns out that DVD is just a "Making of" documentary. I got that information when I watched this commercial about it, but I was too excited so I didn't hear the rest of what they were saying. Haha!

By the way, I now allow anonymous reviews for this fic so, everybody, please feel free to give me your opinions! And to everyone who's been giving reviews from the beginning, thank you very much.

This has got to be my longest author's note to date.


	41. Lesson 41

**LESSON FORTY-ONE**

"Wake up, sir! We're here!"

Chiaki grunted and slowly opened his eyes when he felt somebody repeatedly tapping him on the shoulder. He looked up and saw that a short, rather thickset man in a bus driver's uniform with a half-sympathetic expression on his ruddy face was looking down at him.

"Look," the driver said, giving him a small smile, "we're in Saga!"

"Eh?" Chiaki asked as he tried to prevent himself from letting out a yawn. When he took his eyes off the man and observed his surroundings, he noticed that he was the only passenger left sitting inside the bus heading for Saga directly from the Fukuoka Airport. He stole a glance at his wristwatch and read "12:16 PM."

When he remained glued to his seat, the driver went on, "Sir, I need to head back to the airport for the next scheduled trip."

Chiaki stood up somewhat sluggishly and stepped off the bus. But just then, a thought struck him and he turned around to speak to the driver.

"Did the bus happen to pass Okawa on the way here?" he asked.

There was a long pause before the driver said, "By 'Okawa', do you mean Okawa Town in Fukuoka Prefecture?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. I think it's almost in Saga," Chiaki added in a thoughtful manner.

"Ah, yes, it's fairly near. But the bus always goes down south on the Kyushu Expressway and takes the exit to the Nagasaki Expressway. That's the quickest route to Saga, so there's no chance of passing by any of the small cities in Fukuoka on the way. . . . But, like I said earlier, it's just close by."

"How close?" Chiaki asked.

"Hmm. . . . A short walk," answered the driver simply. He went on, pointing somewhere, "See that road over there? Just go straight down it and keep walking until you reach the river. When you see a bridge over the river, you're already in Okawa."

"All right, thank you," Chiaki said, nodding at the driver before going off in the direction the driver told him.

* * *

_What "short walk?!"_ thought Chiaki furiously, as he took a look at his watch and saw that it was 1:30 in the afternoon. _I've been walking along this road for more than an hour already and there's still no sign of either a bridge or a river! What the hell is up with that man's messed-up sense of direction?_

He murmured tiredly, "_How long can this road possibly be?_"

All of a sudden, he felt a cold gust of wind whip him across his face. It was only right then that he began to take notice of how chilly his surroundings were. He realized that his hands were as cold as ice and that he could barely move his fingers any longer. He tried to bury his hands as deep into his pockets as he possibly could.

_Am I really going in the right direction?_ Chiaki wondered to himself. _If I could just find someone to ask directions from. . . ._

As he continued walking, Chiaki looked around at the nearby houses to see if there were any people coming out of them but he was disappointed to see that most of the houses actually appeared to be empty.

_Aren't there any people around here?_

Against his own expectations, he heard his stomach let out a loud growl.

_Isn't there even a nearby convenience store where I can buy something to eat?_ he thought desperately.

Just then, he heard a car honking from somewhere close behind him. When Chiaki realized that he was actually walking right in the middle of the road, he hastily moved to the sidewalk to let the car pass through. But for some apparent reason, the car kept on honking.

"_Dammit!_" Chiaki hissed under his breath, seeing from the corner of his eye that the car appeared to be a rather run-down grey Toyota Corolla.

_I'm already on the sidewalk, idiot!_ he thought, losing the little he had left of his temper. _There's more than enough space for you to pass through!_

"Chiaki?!" a male voice shouted behind him. "_Chiaki Shinichi?!_"

"Eh?" Chiaki asked in surprise as he stopped in his tracks. He immediately turned around to see who had spoken.

His eyes widened when he saw the familiar face of a young man peeking out of the car's open window. The young man beamed widely and waved at him.

"_Yoshitaka_," said Chiaki in a voice that sounded like merely a breath.

"What in the world are you doing here?!" Yoshitaka asked in the same loud, enthusiastic voice. "Have you come to pay a visit to our house?"

"Yes, well. . . ."

"And you're thinking about _walking_ there?" continued Yoshitaka, laughing.

Chiaki stared at him with a half-bewildered half-irritated look on his face.

"But it's still a long way from here!" Yoshitaka explained with an amused smile. "Get in! It's warm inside the car."

_I'm saved_, thought Chiaki, heaving a sigh of relief as he hurriedly got onto the front passenger seat of the car.

* * *

"Ah, it's been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it?" Yoshitaka put in, letting out a nostalgic sort of sigh as he started the car again.

"Yes, it has. . ." murmured Chiaki. He closed his eyes for a moment and relished the warmth of the car's heater.

"If I'm not mistaken," continued Yoshitaka, "the last time we actually saw each other was when you went to Okawa for the first time! That was when you asked Otousan for permission to go out with Neechan, right?"

"_Huh?!_" Chiaki asked, his eyes widening in shock.

_When did _that _ever happen?_ he thought to himself. _Even now, they still have the wrong idea about the reason why I went here back then. . ._

Appearing as though he had not heard his companion say a thing, Yoshitaka went on cheerfully, "You know, I could hardly believe that Neechan managed to get such a good-looking boyfriend like you. And you're really rich too! Isn't your uncle the CEO of this big multinational company?"

"Yoshitaka," began Chiaki in a slow, somewhat cautious tone, "you _do_ know that your sister and I. . . . Well, we're no longer. . ." His voice dwindled and he didn't finish what he was saying.

To Chiaki's utter surprise, Yoshitaka merely nodded and said matter-of-factly, "Yeah, I know. But even so, we still think of you as family."

Chiaki could not find any words to say in answer. Instead, he decided to change the subject and asked, "Where did you come from just now?"

"Oh, I went to a supermarket in Saga," Yoshitaka explained. "The supermarket near our place doesn't sell any lactose-free milk, so I always have to go all the way to Saga to buy some. I've been telling Mariko that we should just buy those large wholesale packs so I don't have to go back and forth to Saga every week, but she insists. I've even told her that powdered milk doesn't expire as quickly as the liquid kind, but there's really no way I can change her mind. Honestly, women and their little hang-ups. . ." With that, he flashed Chiaki a tired-looking smile.

_Who in the world is Mariko?_ Chiaki asked himself, confused. _I thought his mother's name is Yoko. . . ._

"Is Mariko-san your grandmother?" he asked.

"_What?!_" yelped Yoshitaka, who could not contain his raucous laughter. "You really _are_ funny!"

Chiaki stared at his companion, wondering what on earth Yoshitaka found so amusing.

When he saw that he would get no clear answer, Chiaki decided to inquire, "Who in your family is lactose intolerant?"

"It's Mebuki," answered Yoshitaka after recovering from his fit of laughter. "Pretty name, isn't it? I was the one who decided on it."

_Now who's Mebuki?_ Chiaki wondered, now completely baffled. _Am I missing something here?_

"Are these people your relatives?" he asked. Deep inside of him, he hoped that Yoshitaka would finally offer him a comprehensible answer.

"Ah, didn't Neechan ever tell you about them?" Yoshitaka asked. "Mebuki's my baby."

"You have a baby?!" gasped Chiaki. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Yoshitaka nodded and continued, "She's turning two on Christmas! It was pretty great that she was born on Christmas, you know. We can actually celebrate Christmas and her birthday at the same time, so that saves us some money!"

"And Mariko. . ."

"She's my wife. She came all the way from Nagasaki! I met her back in elementary school when we were still living in Tokyo. Her father's in the seaweed-making industry as well."

_Nodame failed to mention that_, Chiaki said in his mind as he tried to digest all the new information Yoshitaka was telling him. _As usual. . . . That idiot._

"We're expecting another one in spring!" Yoshitaka said with a proud glint in his eyes. "Ah, here we are!" he added when they approached a high dark-grey granite gate where a porcelain plaque that bore the name "Noda" was nailed onto.

As soon as Yoshitaka had parked the car, he led his guest into the house.

"Okaasan!" he called as the two of them removed their shoes in the entryway. "I'm home! You'll never guess who's come to visit!" he added in a gleeful voice.

"Who is it, Yoshi-kun?" asked Yoko's voice, which echoed in the narrow hallway.

"It's Niisan!" Yoshitaka replied loudly.

_Niisan?!_ thought Chiaki in astonishment. _How did it come to _that_? Again?_

"'Niisan?'" Yoko's voice went on in an equally loud voice. "Wait a moment. . ."

Within seconds, Yoko came rushing out of the kitchen and into the hallway. She was wearing a dirty apron and her hands were caked with flour. The moment she laid eyes on Chiaki, she let out a deafening shriek.

"_CHIAKI-KUN?!_" she squealed, running over to where he was standing by the door. "Oh, we missed you so much! What in the world are you doing here?!"

Yoko temporarily forgot that her hands were dirty and trapped Chiaki in a life-threateningly tight hug. When she let go of him, she realized that she had made several spots of white appear on Chiaki's dark blue jacket.

"Ah, I'm so sorry about that!" she said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Don't worry, we'll have it washed in no time. Anyway, come in!" she added, almost literally dragging Chiaki into the living room, where a peach futon-covered _kotatsu_ was placed in the middle of the floor.

When she had successfully forced Chiaki to sit on the floor with his feet inside the _kotatsu_, Yoko said, "I'm making curry bread with Mariko-chan in the kitchen. Yoshi-kun, you keep Chiaki-kun company for now, all right?" She smiled broadly at Chiaki and, without another word, headed back into the kitchen.

"How long are you staying in Japan?" Yoshitaka asked after a while.

"I'll be leaving by tomorrow morning," replied Chiaki. "I just need to speak with your parents about. . . something."

"Eh. . . . Why don't you stay here until Christmas?!" Yoshitaka suggested brightly. "We'll be celebrating Mebuki's birthday too!"

"No, thank you," Chiaki said immediately. "I don't want to be a bother here – "

"Nonsense! We always love it when you're around!" insisted Yoshitaka.

_This is only the second time I've been here_, Chiaki said wryly to himself.

"You can stay in this house!" Yoshitaka continued. "Anyway, Neechan hasn't come home in ages so you can probably use her room. And if you run out of clothes, Okaasan can make you some in an instant! She has a new Mode Salon Yoko Ready-to-Wear line! It's ready in no time at all!"

_He honestly has no idea what "ready-to-wear" means_, thought Chiaki, failing to hide an amused smile on his lips.

Yoshitaka noticed his guest's small grin and took that to mean Chiaki's agreement to his plan. Thinking that that was already settled, he changed the topic.

"How's the orchestra doing?" he asked. "You're with an orchestra in America, right?"

"I think we've done pretty well this year. Right now, I'm on leave for the holidays. I just have a guest conducting stint with a chamber orchestra on New Year's Eve."

_Dammit, I forgot all about that particular engagement_, Chiaki thought. He suddenly felt a slightly uneasy sensation inside of him.

"I heard about that performance you had in Vienna," said Yoshitaka. "All the papers were raving about it back in September. Japan's really proud of you!"

"Is that so?" was all Chiaki could remark in answer. He never really liked talking about being a famous conductor, even though he knew for himself that he was.

"_Isn't this great?!_" Yoshitaka piped in all at once.

"Huh?"

"Somebody famous is sitting in our living room talking to _me_! This is so amazing. . ." Yoshitaka said with something like a delighted sigh.

_Doesn't he know that his sister's also pretty famous? She's probably even more famous than I am._

Just then, Yoko came back into the living room. A small young woman with a bulging abdomen toddled into the room after her. The way she walked made her resemble a duck.

"This is Mariko-chan, my daughter-in-law," Yoko explained as she helped Mariko sit down on the floor.

"How do you do?" Mariko said rather timidly, smiling at their guest.

"It's nice to meet you," said Chiaki. He made a slight bow at her and went on, "I'm Chiaki Shinichi."

"Yes, I know!" answered Mariko. "I've seen your pictures in the newspapers. You perform often with Megumi-neechan, don't you?"

Chiaki replied with a nod.

"What brings you to Okawa, Chiaki-kun?" Yoko asked once she was also comfortably seated. She removed her soiled apron and set it atop the _kotatsu_.

Chiaki hesitated before saying, "I wanted to. . . have a word with you. . . and your husband." He lowered his gaze to avoid meeting Yoko's eyes.

"Why?" inquired Yoko in her typical loud, boisterous manner. "Does it have anything to do with seaweed?"

"What?" Chiaki said, puzzled.

"Because we're developing a new product right now," explained Yoko. "We're making seaweed powder! It can be used as a type of seasoning for all sorts of food. At the moment, we're only selling it in retail to see if it becomes popular with our buyers. If they like it, we'll eventually put it on wholesale! Would you like a pack? Don't worry. For you, _it's free_!"

"Ah. . ." Chiaki muttered, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

A soft beeping sound issued from somewhere in the kitchen.

"That's the oven," said Mariko. "Maybe the bread's finished baking already. I'll go and check – "

She slowly got herself up from the floor and waddled back into the kitchen.

"Chiaki-kun, you know that Mariko-chan's giving birth to my second grandchild, don't you?" Yoko asked after some moments.

Chiaki made a nod and answered, "Your son told me about it on the way here. The eldest is a girl, am I right?"

"That's right!" Yoko piped in with a giggle. "And this time, it's going to be a boy!"

"Is it all right if we name the new baby after you, Niisan?" asked Yoshitaka abruptly.

"Eh?" Chiaki gasped, astounded.

_Why?!_

"It's only Mebuki's second birthday on the 25th," Yoko continued, "and yet these two – " she waved her hands carelessly in her son's direction " – decided to have another one all of a sudden!" she finished in a rather disapproving tone, gazing intently at Chiaki as though expecting him to say something in agreement with her.

"It couldn't be helped, you know!" argued Yoshitaka.

"But isn't it unhealthy to have a baby again right after giving birth to one?" Yoko pointed out. "The best thing to do is to wait three years before having another one."

"Wait," said Yoshitaka, "isn't Neechan only two years older than me?"

A fleeting expression of edginess appeared in Yoko's wide eyes. After a second, she said, "No, Megumi's older than you by three years!"

Yoshitaka stared at his mother gravely for a moment until he could no longer suppress a grin.

"Just admit it, Okaasan!" he said with a loud laugh. "Everybody knows you can't wait three years to make a baby again!" With that, he winked mischievously at Yoko, who answered with an equally raucous laugh.

"Well, I have to say that it runs in the family," Yoko confessed after recovering from her fit of laughter. "We're all very _productive_!"

This sent her and Yoshitaka into another incredibly loud convulsion of laughter.

Hentai_s! All of them!_ Chiaki thought in shock as he stared dumbfounded at his hosts. _I completely forgot that this is a family of perverts!_

He let out a heavy, defeated sort of sigh.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ he asked in his mind, his entire being full of regret. He turned his head away from the _hentai_ mother-and-son pair and faced the window, which shielded them from the bitingly cold wind that was whipping the trees outside back and forth. At that moment, Chiaki thought that he would give anything to still be in snow-buried Minnesota than have his feet warmed up inside the snug _kotatsu_ in the Noda family's living room.

* * *

Just a little over 900 kilometers away from Okawa, the R S Orchestra was having a pre-performance celebration at their favorite bar called Tribeca in Chofu, a city located within the western limits of the Tokyo metropolis. Ever since the formation of the orchestra, that particular bar had always been one of their favorite drinking places. The ambience was cozy with its dark plain walls of complementing maroon and cream, and its small dim lights set a certain mood of repose. Apart from that, the bar offered a huge empty space in the middle of the floor which was the perfect place to go crazy when they were already well-intoxicated and nearly out of their normal frames of mind.

At that moment, they had only just started settling themselves on their seats in the bar, which they had reserved for themselves for the entire night.

"_Okay! Everybody, listen!_" yelled Mine at the top of his lungs as he stood up from his seat. He rapidly grabbed one of the huge glasses of beer placed on the table in front of him and raised it up high above his head. "Here's to the legendary Rising Star Orchestra and to the success of our 13th annual Christmas concert – !"

Kimura, who was sitting on the chair beside Mine, interrupted loudly, "It's only December 20, idiot! The performance hasn't even started yet!"

"_Cheers!_" Mine piped in, ignoring him.

"_CHEERS!_" the other orchestra members cried in unison, standing up and raising their glasses after their concertmaster.

After a while, they all sat back down again and began chatting among themselves.

"This orchestra's really improved over the years," Katayama remarked with a sigh. He took a quick sip of his red wine before setting it back down on the table. He added after a moment, "It really _is_ an evolving orchestra!"

"That's true!" agreed Maiko. "Everyone's getting better and better over time."

"During practice earlier," Kaoru began in an animated voice, "Matsuda-sama even told me that my clarinet playing has _enhanced_!"

"I want to attract Matsuda-sama's attention with my viola playing too!" Shizuka squealed.

"Ah, Shizuka-chan, won't your husband get angry?" Masumi pointed out.

Shizuka's chubby cheeks turned a faint pink color.

Yuki, one of the cellists, ventured to ask, "Mine-kun, will Kiyora-chan make it to the concert?"

"She's supposed to have a recital in Vienna on Christmas Eve but she said she would definitely come to watch us," replied Mine. He immediately continued in a louder voice that echoed across the room, "By the way. . . Kimura-kun, didn't you tell me that you had plans to propose to Moe-chan after the performance?"

All at once, every single orchestra member let out a surprised "_EH?!_"

"R-really?" Moe asked in a shy manner, blushing deeply. When she turned to look at Kimura, her faced turned even redder.

"No, of course it isn't true!" argued Kimura in an almost irritable tone, trying desperately to prevent his own face from turning red with embarrassment.

"It's not true?" said Moe. She looked genuinely hurt.

Without thinking, Kimura snapped, "_Mine, I told you to keep it a secret!_"

"So it _is_ true?!" shrieked Kaoru. "You're my brother-in-law now!" With that, she let out a squeal of delight and ran over to Kimura, giving him a tight embrace.

"I'm getting married!" Moe said in a happy but rather shaky voice. It seemed like she was being choked up in tears of joy. She got up from her seat and rushed to Kimura's place, following suit after her sister and throwing her arms around his neck.

Kimura, whose blushing face now seemed to be the same shade as the bar's maroon wallpaper, looked absolutely mortified.

"How wonderful!" Maiko piped in with a giggle. "Congratulations to both of you!"

"_CONGRATULATIONS!_" the other orchestra members shouted all at once. A few of them raised their glasses in Kimura and Moe's direction.

"Kimura-kun, where's the ring?" demanded Kaoru in an unexpectedly urgent tone of voice. "Can I see it?"

Kimura replied hastily, "I left it at home since I wasn't actually planning on proposing _today_. . ." His voice trailed off as he averted his eyes.

"That's all right," Moe said with a pretty smile. "You can just give me the ring on Christmas." After a moment, she turned to her twin and continued, "Come on, Kaoru, let's go back to our table."

"Okay, then," said Kaoru simply.

The two of them giggled gleefully for a few seconds before heading back to their table with smiles etched on their faces.

As soon as his newly-pronounced fiancée was well out of earshot, Kimura peevishly hissed in Mine's ear, "_I still can't see why you had to announce it to everyone like that. . ._"

"Hey, I knew you didn't have enough courage to ask her at all," Mine replied in such a matter-of-fact tone that it annoyed Kimura even more, "so that was the only way you could get her to marry you, don't you think? Besides, it was a success, wasn't it? And you didn't need to ask her anything at all!" he added brightly.

After a brief pause, he leaned closer to his friend and whispered in his ear, "Just think of this as a favor." With that, he patted Kimura genially on the back and flashed him a very big smile.

Kimura appeared as though he was about to blow up in fury.

At the next table, Katayama was pouring some more wine into his glass when he said, "I think the repertoire this year is really good."

"Yes, isn't it?" put in Mine in an enthusiastic voice. "First, we'll woo the audience with our Mozart serenade. They'll surely fall in love with us!"

"Mine-kun, I don't think serenades are really meant to _woo_ people. . ." Maiko pointed out in a low murmur.

"Then there's Kanai-kun's trumpet concerto!" squealed Sakura.

Just then, the R S Orchestra members erupted in cheers.

"Good for you, Kanai-kun!" Kaoru said happily.

"Yeah, who would have thought you'd be the soloist in Haydn's famous trumpet concerto?" said Yuki.

Letting out a satisfied sort of sigh, Katayama said, "A French horn player performing the lead role in Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in D Major. . . . That's going to be quite an experience."

Mine walked over to Kanai and placed his hands firmly on the French horn player's shoulders.

"Are you sure you'll be all right with playing the trumpet?" he asked, staring gravely into Kanai's bespectacled little eyes. "Have you prepared enough?"

"O – of course, Mine-kun!" Kanai assured him in an excited, stuttering voice. "And I'll definitely do my best!" he added with a nod.

"Don't fail us, okay?" said Mine, winking.

"And don't forget to blow your nose before performing!" Hashimoto put in jokingly.

The orchestra members laughed heartily.

When the laughter died down a bit, Maiko went on, "Isn't it great that the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus will be joining us for the Pomp and Circumstance Marches?"

"That soprano who's doing the solo at the end is really skillful!" Masumi said.

"_Not to mention beautiful_," murmured Tamaki to himself.

"I'm really excited to perform Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture! We worked really hard on that one!" exclaimed Sakura.

"This concert's going to be really loud, isn't it?" Kaoru pointed out, laughing softly.

"Yes, all the pieces are really festive," agreed Moe. "Somehow, I think our repertoire suits the New Year more than Christmas."

"Eh?" Mine asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

There was a long pause before Moe answered, "Well, it feels like it's going to be a really big and showy celebration. Of course, there really _is_ a reason to celebrate this Christmas, right?" She made a discreet glance at Kimura, which everybody around them noticed anyway, sending all of them into another fit of raucous laughter.

Eager to avoid the subject of his engagement with Moe, Kimura said in a loud voice, "It was surprising that Matsuda-san chose Brahms's Symphony No. 1 as well. Wasn't that the first symphony Rising Star ever performed?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right!" said Maiko.

"We really had fun that time, didn't we?" Sakura said, making a nostalgic sigh. "With Chiaki-senpai conducting," she added.

"_CHIAKI-SAMA!!!_" a lot of the female orchestra members shrieked.

"I never liked Chiaki to begin with. . . but he conducted us really well," put in Tamaki truthfully. He tried not to look too embarrassed as he said it.

"Of course!" Masumi piped in. "He's the golden prince of conducting!" He clasped his hands together and stared dreamily up at the ceiling.

"But don't they call him the 'Black Prince?'" asked Shizuka, correcting him.

"Even so. . . he's still my golden Apollo!" Masumi squealed. He continued in a fairly audible whisper, "As I thought, I can never really get over him even after all this time. . ."

From what seemed to be out of nowhere, Takahashi said in a voice filled with ecstasy, "_Ah, Chiaki-kun. . ._"

"Oi, _what are you going on about_?!" demanded Masumi furiously, taking big strides towards Takahashi and with outstretched hands, attempting to wring his neck.

"Why can't you two grow up already?" Hashimoto asked in a tone that was halfway between amusement and exasperation.

"Some things never really do change, I suppose," said Katayama as he stared on at Masumi feverishly trying to suck the last breath of life out of Takahashi.

"Katayama-kun, wasn't it you who said that this orchestra's changing?" Maiko pointed out.

Katayama merely answered with a soft laugh before downing his second glass of wine.

Mine, who had been sitting unusually quiet in a dark corner of the bar for the past few minutes, suddenly recalled in his mind the words which Katayama had uttered just then.

_"Some things never really do change."_

All at once, Mine's eyes widened as a brilliant thought (in his own opinion, at least) flashed in his mind. He let out a deafening yell, causing his fellow orchestra members to turn their eyes away from Masumi and Takahashi and fix their gazes on him instead.

"What's up, Ryu-chan?" asked Masumi in a puzzled tone. He absentmindedly let go of Takahashi's neck, which was already a deep red color.

In one swift movement, Mine stood up from his place and ran over to the middle of the room.

"I just thought of something brilliant!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I am a pure genius!" he added after a moment in a self-important manner.

"Hey, Mine!" Tamaki snapped. "Just get on with what you're saying, won't you?!"

"Ah, yes, yes!" replied Mine hurriedly. He paused for a moment before explaining, "Let's get Chiaki and Nodame to do a concerto with Rising Star!"

"_EH?!_" the others cried out in surprise.

"That's a great idea!" Maiko shrieked happily. "It will be like a reunion concert for all of us!"

"We can get Kuroki-kun, Kikuchi-kun, and all the other original members to perform as well!" suggested Sakura.

"That's right!" Mine agreed with a fervent nod. "And because Chiaki and Nodame are already really famous, our audience will definitely get even bigger!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" shouted Hashimoto.

He was met by several shouts of agreement from the other orchestra members.

When the excitement had died down a bit after a few minutes, Masumi approached Mine and took the seat next to his.

"Ah, you're finished beating up Takahashi already?" Mine asked sarcastically with a playful grin.

"Never mind that," muttered Masumi in a hurried tone of voice.

Seeing his friend's strange behavior, Mine inquired, "What's up with you?"

Masumi hesitated for what seemed to be several long seconds before answering, "Ryu-chan, aren't you being too enthusiastic about all of this?"

"Huh? What the heck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Chiaki-sama and Nodame," said Masumi. "Why are you so eager to get them to perform with Rising Star?"

"_Huh?!_" Mine repeated in utter confusion. "What's wrong with that? They're our friends, aren't they? And, besides, they're really big names in the classical music world! Having them perform with us will get us good promotion – !"

"Don't lie to me, Ryu-chan," said Masumi plainly, looking straight into his friend's eyes in such a solemn manner that it made Mine abruptly stop speaking. In a much lower voice, he went on, "_Is this another one of your plans to get them back together?_"

To Masumi's amazement, Mine merely laughed.

"You're really keen, Masumi-chan. . ." sighed Mine as he grabbed another glass of beer from the table.

"Don't you think it's about time that we just give up?" Masumi whispered.

Mine's eyes widened in shock.

"_WHAT?!_" he exclaimed incredulously. "How could you even think that?"

"_Shh! _Keep your voice down!" pleaded Masumi, hitting Mine lightly on the shoulder.

"_How could you even think that?_" Mine said again, this time in a voice that resembled a hiss.

Masumi let out a tired sigh before replying, "It's been almost ten years since those two broke up. Even after all this time, nothing has happened at all!"

"Which is why it's _our_ job to get them back together!" Mine pressed.

"Even if you say that – "

"Hold on a moment," interrupted Mine suddenly. "You're not thinking of getting Chiaki for yourself, are you?"

"Of course not!" Masumi insisted, his cheeks turning pink. He added in a soft, giggly voice, "Although that's not such a bad idea. . ."

"Oi, I'm being serious!" groaned Mine. After about a minute, he continued boldly, "I'll _definitely_ get Nodame and Chiaki back together! It's my duty to do so!"

"Huh?"

"Fate directs me to reunite those two lost souls!" Mine explained passionately.

Masumi stared at him with a stunned expression on his face before turning away with a shrug.

"Whatever you say, Ryu-chan," he muttered.

* * *

"Good morning!" Lucas said brightly as he opened the front door of the Rotwald Jewelry Pawnshop in Vienna. He strode in with a huge smile on his face and walked over to where the dealer was seated behind his desk.

"Oh, it's you again!" put in the dealer, smiling back at him. "Mission accomplished, I presume?"

"As a matter of fact," Lucas began, "my mission failed."

"Really?" asked the dealer, his tone of voice betraying his complete surprise. "You seem quite happy for someone who got rejected after giving a marriage proposal. . . . You _did_ propose, didn't you?" he added after some moments.

"Of course I did," replied Lucas. "She said 'no.'"

"You appear to be perfectly all right with it, I see," the dealer pointed out quite shrewdly.

"She still loves him," Lucas explained further. "Her first love, I mean. I can't believe her feelings are still the same after all this time. . . But I can't do anything about it, anyway."

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, until the dealer broke the silence.

"So what brings you here?" he asked.

Lucas pulled out something from his coat's pocket and carefully placed it on top of the desk. It was the ring he bought back in September. Its pink-colored diamond glinted in the afternoon sunlight that peeked through the shop's glass door.

"You know, there's really no need for you to return it," said the dealer simply.

"But I don't have anything to do with it anymore," Lucas insisted.

"You won't be getting back your 165 Euros, I'm afraid," the dealer said. "You can only get back money you've borrowed from a pawnshop if you actually pawned something. But you bought the ring, so it's non-refundable."

"That's fine," answered Lucas with a small smile. "I don't mind. Just please keep it."

To Lucas's confusion, the dealer sighed and went on in a resigned tone, "I guess that ring was never meant to have an owner to begin with. . ."

"I beg your pardon?"

The dealer looked up at Lucas in surprise as though he had just realized that there was someone else in the room with him. After a moment's pause, he continued, "Do you remember that man who was also here when you bought that ring?"

Lucas's eyes widened. He was about to tell the dealer that he was actually personally acquainted with the man, but instead he found himself saying, "Wasn't he that Japanese man?"

"I'm not sure if he was Japanese," the dealer admitted. "He might have been Korean or Chinese. But, anyway, that's the man I'm talking about. At first I didn't want to tell you this, but seeing as you've given the ring back to me, I don't think there's any reason why I shouldn't let you in on that man's story."

"His story?" Lucas inquired, puzzled.

"Yes," said the dealer. "You see, that man was actually the previous owner of this ring." With that, he took the ring and held it up before his small, squinty eyes.

"_He was?!_" exclaimed Lucas in disbelief. "Then didn't he recognize the ring when he saw it? I showed it to him, didn't I?"

The dealer made a knowing smile before saying, "I think he recognized it."

"But why didn't he say anything?"

"It's probably because he never wanted it back anyway."

Lucas opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again as though he was thinking hard of what to say. After about a second, he said, "I don't understand."

The dealer gazed into his face in silence for a few moments before looking away. He started rummaging for something through his desk drawers as though nothing at all had happened.

"Please, sir," Lucas said in a serious tone.

The dealer remained silent for a while before asking, "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes. Please tell me what happened to the previous owner of that ring."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

I am finally back! I am so sorry I took so long to add another chapter. I wish I could say that the only reason I took forever to update is because I was really busy with school for the past few months, but truth be told, I went through a minor case of writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write next, but I just couldn't think of _how_ I would write it. Anyway, I apologize for making you wait.

A lot of you have sent me reviews saying how Chiaki is such an idiot for going to Japan when Nodame's actually in Hong Kong. Well, I have to admit that he _is_ an idiot, but he did go to Fukuoka for a particular reason. I'll just leave you to guess what that reason is until my next update!

By the way, in case you're interested, the name Mebuki means "sprout of life". I first heard its usage as a person's name in the 2006 film _Ashita no Kioku_, wherein the main character (a man afflicted with Alzheimer's disease played by the famous Japanese actor Watanabe Ken) decides to name his granddaughter "Mebuki". Mizukawa Asami (who plays Kiyora in the live-action series), Oikawa Mitsuhiro (who plays Sakuma Manabu), and Matsuoka Rinako (who plays Suzuki Moe) are also in that film. I recommend that you watch it! It's quite a tearjerker.

In the manga, the R S Orchestra's favorite hangout is a bar called Bolero. In the drama, though, the bar's name is Tribeca. I'm not sure where Tribeca actually is, but since the location of Momogaoka Music Academy in the drama is Toho Gakuen School of Music in Chofu, I decided to just put Tribeca there. If you happen to be the owner of Tribeca and I'm wrong about its location, please do accept my apologies!

I've also noticed that, some time ago, a few people got a little bit confused and thought that the FanFiction writer Recchinon and I are the same person. Just as a point of clarification, Recchinon and I are two different people. We're friends, though, and she mentioned me a few times in the "author's notes" of her fic _First_, which is probably why some people got somewhat confused. I just wanted to clarify that.

To nambelle, thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I appreciate it, though. Please understand. ;-)

I think I got a little carried away with the bit about the R S Orchestra. . . .

This time, I think I really need to say sorry for such a long author's note!

Your comments are all very welcome.


	42. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hello, everyone. I have decided that I will no longer be continuing this story. It's been well over a year since I updated and during all that time, I already created most of the subsequent chapters. However, I didn't feel satisfied with any of them and made numerous revisions. But in spite of all the revising that I did, I still didn't feel like the story was heading anywhere. Moreover, I've been incredibly busy with schoolwork and other things lately, so I haven't had much time to focus on this story.

I'm terribly sorry for making you all wait.

But please take note that I won't be scrapping this story completely. I _might_ continue it at some point in my later life (haha), but for now, it's on an indefinite hiatus.

Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed.

Cheers xxx


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